Second Chance
by Maina.GundamSeed
Summary: -ON HOLD- He was an undercover investigating her family’s illicit business when they fell in love. After succeeding, he fakes his own death. Discovering his death and her being pregnant, she vanished from everyone. 6 yrs later, they meet again. AU AxC
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** Gundam Seed/ Destiny and the story (by C.M) _**don't belong to me**_. They all belonged to someone else. This is just an abridged story. The same disclaimer goes for the up-coming chapters until the story ends.

* * *

Prologue: The Set-up

* * *

Bitter cold inhabited the last days of April like an unwanted guest who didn't know when to leave. The vestiges of sleet had melted off the streets of Aprilius City, but a veil of ice remained, sparkling in the headlights of slow-moving traffic on the narrow streets. Athrun Zala turned up the collar on his black overcoat and adjusted the lapels across the shoulder holster.

He seldom wore his gun anymore. As a senior agent in Zaft Forces, his regular assignment was in the classroom. Today, he was in Aprilius for a consultation and seminar, teaching other special operation personnel how to go undercover and get out in one piece. Athrun had the practical knowledge. Six years ago when he was just 19 years old, he'd infiltrated the upper echelons of a Mendel Colony crime family and lived among them for eighteen months. His tapes, wire taps and sequestered testimony had taken down seven minor crime bosses and toppled the Hibiki family. He should have been proud. In certain Zaft Forces, Athrun was considered a legend.

Yet, he never thought of that time without regret. His efforts hadn't ended corruption in greater Mendel Colony. He'd barely made a dent. When the Hibiki stepped down, another family arose to take their place. Crime was a many headed hydra, voracious and unstoppable. Now, six years later, Ulen Hibiki, the old patriarch, had regained supremacy. Except for two men still serving time in federal prison, it was if Athrun's undercover operation had never happened.

"You're going to love this restaurant," his companion said.

"Why's that, Shinn?"

"It's German."

Shinn Asuka, like many of the younger agents, knew that Athrun's a German descent. Because of his blue hair and green eyes? No, because his well-known lineage ways go back to it. But he grew up in December City, way up here in Plants, together with different cultures and where the culinary fare was mainly meat and potatoes. His only association with German cooking was during his undercover assignment when he immersed himself in the culture and passed as Alex Dino.

As a general rule, Athrun avoided the German scene. He'd met a lot of people in Mendel Colony he couldn't face again. Not that they'd be expecting to see him. Athrun, in his incarnation as Alex Dino, was supposed to be dead.

Shinn Asuka – a gruff raven head with sharp eyes – held open the door to the corner restaurant. They shook of the cold in the foyer and stepped inside where pleasant warmth surrounded them. In keeping with the neighborhood location, the décor was casual with red checkered tablecloths and woven Chianti bottles used as flower vases. A long bar traversed one wall. Above the noise of conversation, Athrun heard the background music of tarantella.

Instinctively, he scanned the faces of restaurant patrons, looking for enemies. He recognized one man. Not an enemy. Another Zaft agent from today's seminar.

"Sai Argyle." Athrun turned to Shinn. "I didn't know we were meeting anyone."

"Me neither." Shinn waved and approached the other man. "Hey, Sai. Good to see you. What are the odds we'd end up at the same place?"

Too high, Athrun thought. As he reached across the table to shake hands, Sai's jacket gaped open and Athrun noticed the handle of the gun in his shoulder holster. Not standard Zaft issue. This casual dinner was beginning to feel like a setup.

"Join us." Shinn offered.

"Thanks, but no," Sai said. He checked his wristwatch. "I'm waiting for my girlfriend. She's late, as usual."

Sai's reason for being here sounded innocent enough. Sai's presence was nothing more than coincidence, except Athrun didn't believe in random chance. Everything happened for a reason.

He led the way to a table in the middle of the restaurant and sat with his back to the wall. Though he remained alert to potential danger, the comfortable atmosphere soothed Athrun. The mouthwatering fragrance of rich sauces and fresh bread tickled his senses and took him back in time. He remembered a candlelit dinner in his Mendel Colony apartment. Six years ago. And he remembered a woman, _the_ woman, Cagalli Yamato. Slender with silky legs, she swept through his small one-bedroom apartment with sinuous grace. Wisps of long blonde hair escaped her ponytail and curled at the edge of her high cheekbones. She wore no makeup, didn't need any. Her full lips glistened with a soft, natural pink. She was only nineteen but seemed more mature. The constant drama of the Hibiki crime family would be enough to age anyone, especially a sensitive coed with a strong sense of justice and truth.

Cagalli Yamato. Athrun thought of her often. The atmosphere at the restaurant brought her back to him with unbearable vividness. He remembered her leaning across the table in his apartment, holding out a serving spoon for him to sample the dish she cooked. In memory, his tongue tasted a perfect blend of fresh tomatoes, onions, peppers and garlic. In her eyes, the candlelight reflected a winsome glow.

He'd wanted to be honest with her, to explain his undercover work. To do so would have been dangerous. For both of them. He figured that when his assignment ended, he would come back for her. But such solace was not to be. She vanished after the final takedown. Though it seemed impossible, she was gone without a trace, never to be heard from again. Her disappearance was a tribute to the national and international connections of the patriarch, Ulen Hibiki. He'd hidden his granddaughter, the daughter of his only child Caridad, so effectively that even the Zaft Forces couldn't locate her. Athrun had followed every lead, every hint. He would've done anything to see her again, to taste her lips, to feel her delicate body cradled tight against his –

"Athrun!" Shinn called him back to reality, nodding toward the waitress. "Should we get wine with dinner?"

"Burgundy," Athrun said. Cagalli had preffered red wine, full-bodied and rich. "A liter."

There was no reason to avoid alcohol. He wasn't on duty. This afternoon's consultation and seminar on undercover procedure had gone smoothly, and he planned to head back to December City tomorrow morning.

Shinn planted his elbows on the table and leaned forward. "What was it really like? Being inside?"

Athrun shrugged. This wasn't the place to be discussing undercover ops. "Just a job."

"Did you ever, you know, get too involved? Did you ever think of dumping the assignment and joining the family?"

What kind of question was that? A test of loyalty? He wondered if Shinn had an ulterior motive when he volunteered to show Athrun around. "Why do you ask?"

"You got to admit, the families have a certain appeal. Lots of money. Good wine. Great food." He gestured to the table in front of them where the waitress placed a basket of warm crusty bread. Shinn winked up at her. "Beautiful women."

She smiled back at him and moved away. Her graceful hips undulated as she wove through the half-filled tables. It was a decent sized crowd for a Thursday night when the weather was dismal. Athrun watched as the waitress swished through the swinging door into the kitchen. What lay behind that door?

He glanced again at Sai Argyle whose girlfriend had not yet arrived. Something about this dinner was wrong. Athrun's instincts, honed from years of ferreting out deceit, warned him to move on. He held up his wristwatch and made an excuse. "Sorry, Shinn, I don't really have time for dinner. I'm meeting someone at ten."

"Who?" Shinn challenged.

"Someone." His tone was clipped, final. He'd say no more. Explanation was unnecessary; a senior agent deserved respect.

"At least have a glass of wine." Shinn raised both hands in a conciliatory gesture. "Come on, Athrun. You can spare time for one glass can't you?"

Was he stalling, trying to buy time to keep Athrun at the table? "You sound anxious, Shinn. Been under stress lately?"

"To tell the truth, I can't believe I'm here with you. You're one of my heroes. I want to get into - " He stopped himself before blurting a specific reference to undercover work. " – your field. I've read every word of your reports, all the transcripts."

Those documents were supposed to be sealed, a top secret. How had a young agent, like Shinn, gotten clearance? Athrun wanted to know more. He purposely relaxed his features, pretending to be seduced into indiscretion by the flattery. "Which part interested you the most?"

"Had to be the final takedown when you set up Locksmith and the guy called The Nose."

Atrhun capped his suspicions with a false smile, irritated that Shinn knew the code words which meant he had accessed top secret, sequestered transcripts of testimony. This did not bode well.

The wine was placed on their table, and Athrun went through the ritual of tasting before pouring a glass of dark crimson liquid, the color of blood. "Who have you been working with on this?"

"Nobody really."

"You're being modest," Athrun said. "Somebody had to give you clearance to read those documents."

"I shouldn't say this." Shinn tried to look sheepish but failed. This baby agent was more like a wolf. "I'm kind of a computer whiz. I hacked into the files."

Unlikely. Very few amateur computer jockey possessed level of skill to breach Zaft security. Something was up. Something treacherous.

Athrun lifted his wineglass as he gazed toward the door. Three men entered. Two were unfamiliar, but Athrun knew the man in the black leather jacket. The man's waist had thickened with muscle and his features had hardened. His violet eyes absorbed the light, sucked the energy from the cheery restaurant and turned everything dark. He was Kira Yamato, the son of Haruma Yamato and Caridad Hibiki. The grandson of Ulen. Cagalli's brother. The up-and coming-boss in Mendel Colony. Why was he here? What did this mean? No time to think.

Athrun reacted instantly. His gun was in his hand. Damn it! He didn't want a shoot-out in the middle of a crowded restaurant.

Shinn had already pulled his weapon, identical to Athrun's. The young agent fired at Kira Yamato.

With a shove, Athrun overturned the table. He focused on Sai Argyle. From halfway across the restaurant, the barrel of Sai's .45 caliber revolver aimed directly at the center of Athrun's chest.

The first shot was Athrun's. Sai went down.

Athrun dodged through the tables, through the screaming, terrified patrons. He hit the kitchen door and kept running. Undercover, again. He'd been set up.

* * *


	2. Come Across

Same disclaimer applies from prologue. Not beta-read. I'm so drained. So sorry.

* * *

Chapter 1: Come Across

* * *

Dressed in a black skirt, white blouse, black sweater and the black and white headdress of a novice nun, the woman who had once been known as Cagalli Yamato hurried along the sidewalk outside Archangel Academy. Head down, the folds of the wimple obscured her features. She rushed as though late for an important appointment. In the carefully tended soil near the academy's entrance, she noticed the green blades of new dahlias, a harbinger of springtime, a promise of new life. Yet, her mind was consumed by thoughts of death.

She still couldn't accept her brother's murder. Kira was too young to die.

Quickly, she mounted the steps at the arched stone entryway of Archangel's Academy, a school she had once attended a long time ago in another life. Her name was Yula Attha now. She was 25 years old now, a single mother, currently living in Orb, making an honest living from smart investments and part-time owner of a caterer service. The key word there was "honest", a description not often associated with her past in this quiet Mendel Colony suburb.

She never thought that she will come back here in Mendel but her brother died. She ought to give respect and say her final goodbye to him. 6 years ago, she wasn't able to say goodbye to him. Wasn't able to let him meet his nephew. She stayed in Orb, adopted by a good family. Uzumi Attha and his wife had been kind enough to let her used their family name and helped her until now. From then on, she treated the Attha family as her own.

Inside the academy, Cagalli flattened her back into an alcove beside a plaster statue. Her plan was to sneak through the bowels of the academy into to the cemetery next door where her brother's funeral would take place in a few hours.

She had risked everything by coming here. If recognized, six years of carefully constructed anonymity would be erased.

Cautiously, she peeked out from behind the statue. Had the hallways always been so narrow? Years ago, the school had seemed much more impressive, filled with whispers and laughter. In a rush, she remembered spelling bees and notes passed in a class and best friends and nostalgia. She needed to slip through the school undetected. It shouldn't be too hard. Classes were in session, and no one should be in the halls. The tricky part would be to avoid the nuns and secretaries who worked in the main office.

Before she could make her move, Cagalli was caught. A hand clasped her shoulder and spun her around. She faced Ms. Murrue Ramius who was in her full regalia- curly hair on loose; the white uniform for teachers fitted her nicely.

Silently, Cagalli cursed. She should have remembered that Ms. Murrue had always been able to creep silently and appear out of nowhere. The joke was that, Ms. Murrue moves in mysterious ways.

The 30 plus years old teacher looked at her intently. "I don't believe we've met Sister. May I help you?"

Cagalli hoped Ms. Murrue couldn't see her too clearly. From a distance, Cagalli could pass for a novice nun. Up close, her white blouse was definitely silk, and the sweater showed a stylish cut. "I'm new here," she said. "A math teacher. I transferred from, um, another parish."

At the sound of her voice, a smile softened Ms. Murrue stern visage. Gently, she chided, "You were never a good liar, Cagalli."

Her arms spread wide like the wings of a wise black bird, and she pulled Cagalli into a hug. The soft warmth of Ms. Murrue felt like a wonderfully safe heaven, and Cagalli hugged back with all her might.

Ms. Murrue had been a comforting presence in the background of her life. When her mother, Caridad Yamato, died from natural causes while Cagalli was in fourth grade, Ms. Murrue had pulled her from class and had given her the news. The same with her murdered father, Haruma Yamato, in seventh grade, but Cagalli hadn't wept on that occasion. The Hibiki family tragedies had become too regular, almost expected. Still, she appreciated the solace offered instinctively by Ms. Murrue, and Cagalli wished she could have stayed in touch. "I'm sorry Ms. Murrue. I left without saying goodbye."

"I understand. Your family… let's just say, I understand why you had to depart so abruptly, Cagalli."

"Call me Yula if you may. Yula Attha. That's my name now."

Ms. Murrue stepped back. With a clean white hanky that had appeared from nowhere, she daubed at the corners of her eyes. "Yula it is. I've been expecting you."

"You have?" tension shot through her. Was it so obvious that she'd return for her brother's funeral? "Why?"

"Come with me."

Cagalli balked, fearful of a trap. If Ulen Hibiki sank in his talons into her, she's never to escape. "Ms. Murrue, I can't see my grandfather."

"Of course not. I might be a teacher but I'm not an idiot." Bitterness tinged her voice. She thoroughly disapproved of Hibiki family activities. "There's someone else who wants to see you. And I promise you'll come to no harm."

"Who is this mysterious person?"

"You'll see."

Her grandmother? Cagalli's heart leap. She missed her grandmother, Via Hibiki, so very much. As soon as Cagalli heard Kira's death, she'd called her grandmother.

On the phone, Via sounded desolate and weak. She'd outlived both her only daughter, and now she'd lost her only grandson, Kira. Granddaughter Cagalli felt guilty to be living so far away; she was good as gone. She'd left her grandmother alone in a nest of vipers.

Ms. Murrue led her down to the stairs, past the cafeteria and into a tunnel that connected with the cemetery. It was the route used during snowy weather. "I'm sorry for you loss, Cagalli. I mean, Yula. Your brother chose a dangerous path."

Kira's life in crime, supposedly serving the family, had killed him. Just as it killed her father and her uncle. And her one true love. His name whispered through her conscience like a forbidden breeze. Alex Dino. Over the years, Cagalli had tried not to think of him, to force his presence from her mind. But her senses would never forget his gentle caresses. Her ears always listened for the rich timbre of his voice, speaking to her of love, promising he would never leave her. Her eyes were reminded of Alex every single day. Their son, Nicol Alexnadre, who was nearly 6 years old, looking more and more like his father as he grows. He was named after his father and his father's deceased best friend. Sometimes, Nicol Alexandre would cock his head at a certain angle when asking a question, and she would see the reincarnation of Alex in the emerald eyes of a son who had never met his real family. And never would, Cagalli swear. Her primary goal in life was to keep Nicol Alexandre safe from the Hibiki's.

In the basement of Archangel Academy, Ms. Murrue pushed through one closed door and then another. She paused outside a third door. "This may be difficult for you, Yula. But I believe this meeting is necessary. For what it's worth, I've always known in my heart that he was a good man."

He? What good man was she talking about? "I don't understand."

"I'll just stay here. Be strong." Ms. Murrue guided Cagalli inside and closed the door behind her.

In the smallish room where racks of teacher's robes were stored in plastic dry cleaners' bags, the light came from a single forty-watt bulb. It wasn't dark, but Cagalli squinted, unable to comprehend what she was seeing.

She focused on a rugged man in a worn black jacket. Every detail came into stark clarity. She noticed the shine on his shoes, the jeans he wore, the buttons on his white shirt, the slight bulge of his jacket concealing a shoulder holster. His jaw set hard as granite. His emerald eyes shone with unspoken gravity.

"Alex," she whispered.

He looked more grown. His high cheekbones and jaw line were more sharply chiseled. His blue hair is slightly longer.

She must be dreaming. He couldn't be here. Alex Dino was dead. He'd been dead for six years, the entire lifespan of their son.

"Cagalli," he said.

"Yula," she corrected automatically. Her heart beat fast, speeded by the pressure of a thousand emotions. It felt like her rib cage would explode. "Cagalli is dead. Like you, you're dead."

"I didn't want to meet like this. I would have given you time to - -"

"Stop!" The music of his voice was overwhelmed by a roaring in her ears. She'd lost her mind. Gone insane, "You're dead."

"Touch me."

When his hands reached toward her, she shied away in horror. This handsome specter might pull her into the grave beside him were they would rest together for all eternity. Too often she'd dreamed of such peace, being in Alex's arms one more time. Forever. But she couldn't leave her son to fend for himself. She had to protect Cedric Alexandre. For his sake, she had to stay alive.

The ghost stepped toward her, leaving the shadows.

"Keep away from me," she gasped.

"Cagalli, it's all right, I won't hurt you."

The glow of the forty-watt bulb glistened in his hair. She stared, incapable of absorbing the miracle that stood before her. He was here. Alive! Alex Dino had returned from the grave. A miracle or a curse, she didn't know which.

Cagalli closed her eyes. Her head whirled. Her knees went limp. She cursed when she felt herself falling, falling into a bottomless abyss.

* * *

Kneeling beside her, Athrun cradled her head against his arm. Though he hadn't intended to shock her into a dead faint, he should have expected her reaction at coming face-to-face with a living, breathing ghost.

He should have asked Ms. Murrue to prepare Cagalli, but there wasn't time to gently ease her into acceptance. Too soon, his enemies would arrive for the funeral. Athrun was investigating on his own, looking for prove to charge the corrupt agents who had killed Kira and sabotaged Athrun's career. At the same time, he was on the run. His identity had been revealed to the Hibiki's – the criminals he had secretly prosecuted so long ago. They wanted his blood.

Every minute Athrun stayed in the academy increased the colds against his survival, but he had desperately needed this time alone with the woman who had haunted his heart for six years. Cagalli Hibiki was the ghost, the vanished lover, the only woman he had truly cared for.

He stared into her face – a perfect shape for a face, framed by white headpiece of a novice nun. Her blonde eyebrows arched delicately over thick, sooty lashes. A stubborn jaw and a straight Japanese nose lent character to her features. In her teens, she'd been adorable. Now, at age 25, she was breathtaking beauty.

Her lashes fluttered, her eyelids opened and she gazed dreamily, not yet fully conscious. Her lips parted as if she were about to smile. He wanted to kiss those lips, to embrace her and pretend the last six years had never happened.

Her expression transformed. All gentleness left her face as she snapped. "You're supposed to be dead."

"Sorry," he said.

"Six years ago, you died."

"I was shot and in the hospital for a week, but - -"

"Bullshit!" her amber eyes flashed. Her beautiful lips pressed in a tight, angry line. "I should kill you myself!"

"Cagalli, I tried - - "

"Don't call me that." She shoved away from him with a wild flailing of arms and legs. "I'm Yula Attha now."

"Fair enough, though I really like your original name." He had a confession of his own. "I'm not Alex Dino. I never was. My real name is Athrun Zala."

She bolted to her feet. For a moment, she wobbled. Her hand rubbed against her forehead and she yanked off the wimple. Her fingers raked through her shoulder-length golden hair.

She glared at him. "Why are you smiling?"

"A nun?" That sure as hell wasn't the way he remembered her.

"A schoolgirl disguise didn't cut it. And I didn't bring any old uniform with me."

"You're the first nun I've seen wearing a silk blouse and cashmere sweater."

She stiffened. "The outfit worked well enough to get me inside the school without being noticed."

"You look good, Cagalli."

"So do you. And again, it's Yula," she said grudgingly. She hated the way he looked. His body was hard and strong. His face had grown even more attractive with age. Damn him! In a righteous world, he would've been physically punished for deserting her while she was pregnant, even though he hadn't known about her condition. He should've guessed. He should've gotten word to her. Instead, he abandoned her! Even worse, he lied about his name… and I named him after our son! And what else? What other lies? Alex or Athrun, should be forced to wear his deceptions and cruelty on his face. He should be hideous.

After all she'd been through, she would never forgive him. She'd given birth alone, a frightened nineteen-year old in a strange city. And she'd raised their son. Alone.

Rage sluiced hotly through her veins as she paced back and forth in the small vestment room, slapping at the plastic garment bags, seething. "You let me think you were dead! You deserted me!"

"I couldn't find you." He stood and casually brushed the dust from his pants. He looked classy, even in jeans and a beat-up jacket. "I searched every damn computer file, every record. I followed lead all around the country. I even went to Heliopolis!"

"I don't believe you."

"Give me a break, Yula. Nobody could find you. Not even your grandfather. You pulled off the disappearing act of the century."

She'd done too good a job. When Cagalli fled, she withdrew all the money from her accounts. With insurance payouts for both her mother and father and college fuds, it had been a considerable amount. Not knowing where to go, she turned to her grandmother who referred her to friends in Orb. However, after the initial contact, Cagalli buried herself more deeply. With the help of the Attha family, she changed her name, her vital records, her identity. No one could find her. She was completely alone. "I had to do it. I had to break away from them."

"I understand," he said.

She walked away from him and stood, staring at the corner of the room where the walls met the ceiling in mathematical ninety degree angles. She yearned for logic. Nothing made sense.

She didn't dare to turn and confront him directly, not while she could still feel his intense magnetism. If she gazed full into his eyes, she'd be helplessly drawn to him, unable to resist.

Cagalli tossed her head. "If you really wanted to find me, you could have. All you had to do was talk to Grandmother Via. I had a post office box where she could contact me."

"You're right, I should have paid more attention to Via. I'd concentrated my search on associates of Ulen Hibiki, but I hadn't ignored Grandmother Via. Undercover, in disguise, I kept her under surveillance as she sputtered in the marketplace or sat in the front pew of the Broadway. I wire-tapped her private telephone. I'd intercepted much of her correspondences to no avail. Unfortunately, I couldn't approach Via with a direct inquiry from Alex Dino who was, as you pointed out, supposed to be dead."

"You're a coward," Cagalli muttered. "Too afraid to return from the dead and face the Hibiki family."

He shrugged. Undercover work was no place for heroes. The job required stealth, not macho bravery. It was time for another confession. "I was undercover, Ca – Yula. I'm a senior agent for the Zaft Forces."

As she whirled to face him, her amber eyes narrowed. "Another lie. You were never honest with me."

He might have defended himself, might have told her that every syllable he'd uttered in praise of her beauty, intelligence and wit had been truth. The language of his emotions had been pure.

But she had a right to her anger.

And she unleashed her rage, full-force. Cagalli rattled through a barrage of invectives before facing him directly, fists on hips. "So you're a Zaft. It was your work to bring down my family."

He wouldn't blame her if she hated him. She'd been raised to put family above all else, and Athrun had betrayed the Hibiki.

Instead, she gave a curt nod. "Good. At least you had the right idea, saving the family from crime."

"But it didn't work," he said.

"Not for Kira." Her jaw tightened as she struggled to maintain her tough attitude. "Kira used bad judgment. And he paid for it."

The sorrow in her eyes belied her harsh judgment. No matter what she said, he knew that Cagalli considered her brother's death to be a tragedy. Palpable grief surrounded her. Athrun had known that she couldn't stay away from her family at this terrible time. He'd counted on her need to be with them. Hoping to console her, he reached out and touched her arm.

She yanked away from him. "Don't"

Somehow, in the back of his mind, he'd always imagined that when he saw her, she would melt into his arms and allow herself to be carried away on clouds of bliss. Apparently, he'd been wrong. In simple words, he could forget about it.

"Okay, Yula, here's the story," Athrun opted for facts. This time, there would be no lies between them. "I'm undercover, again. This time it's more complicated than before. I was framed by another agent. Inside Zaft, I'm considered a renegade. They're looking for me; want to take me into custody. Plus, your family knows I'm alive."

"So, you're wanted by the Hibiki and the Forces?"

"Essentially."

"Nice work," she said sarcastically.

"I didn't see the double-cross until it was too late."

"What double-cross? I want more explanation," she demanded. "And don't even think about lying to me."

"The setup happened at a restaurant in Aprilius City, I saw your brother shot."

She gasped. Her hands flew to cover her mouth. She whispered, "Who kill him?"

"An agent. His name is Shinn Asuka. That snob, raven head bastard shot Kira in cold blood." He wanted her to hear this information from his lips. "No matter what anyone tells you, I didn't kill your brother."

"Why would people say such a thing, if it wasn't true?"

"Part of the setup. Shinn delivered me to the meet in Aprilius. I suspected something was wrong, but I didn't understand until I saw Kira walk through the door. Shinn drew and fired." Athrun had since learned that Shinn had used an exact duplicate of his own weapon, right down to the serial numbers. "His gun was identical to mine."

"So it would be assumed you were the shooter," Cagalli said. "And what were you doing while this Shinn person killed my brother?"

"There was another agent in the restaurant, Sai Argyle. He was aiming at me. My guess is that his gun was a match for Kira's. When the ballistic people analyzed the crime scene, they'd assume I shot Kira and he shot me."

"But there were witnesses," she said.

"Parents and kids having dinner. When the bullets started flying, they dove for cover. They were scared, hysterical. I doubt any of them could say exactly what happened." Especially not when Shinn was directing the investigation. "Here's how it's going down. I'm accused of killing your brother and shooting agent Argyle."

"Did you?" she asked. "Did you shoot the other agent?"

"Yes."

"Is he dead?" she asked.

"Alive and recovering," Athrun said. "He's a hero."

"And you're the goat."

She leaned her back against the wall and regarded him steadily as if she were weighing his words against her standard of truth. He trusted her instincts. Through raised in an atmosphere of base treachery, Cagalli had a finely tuned moral compass.

"If you had met my brother on the street," she said, "and he recognized you, would you have killed him?"

"If it came down to him or me," Athrun said, "I'd shoot."

She frowned, considering. Then she glanced at her wristwatch. They were both aware of the ticking clock. Soon, the Hibiki family would gather for the funeral in the upstairs cemetery. "Why did you come here Athrun?"

"I wanted to see you."

She brushed away his comment. "I've never heard of a Zaft who was so sentimental. There must be another reason."

"Surveillance." By observing those who attended the funeral, he might be able to connect the dots and figure out the connections that led to Shinn Asuka. "You're brother was killed for a reason, I want to know why."

"Why does this make a difference to you?"

"Until I have proof to implicate Shinn Asuka and Sai Argyle man, I'm out in the cold."

"Because Zaft thinks you're the corrupt agent who's working with the Hibiki."

"Yula, we don't have time to talk about this. Not right now. I want you to meet me after the funeral. I'll be at this motel." He handed her a card. "I'll wait until four o'clock."

"Before four o'clock," she repeated. "At this motel."

Cagalli glanced at the card, aware that he was literally trusting her with his life. Is he betrayed him by giving his location to her grandfather, Athrun would be trapped in a motel room with no escape. The Hibiki family would take their revenge without mercy.

It was what he deserved for deserting her. A slow and horrible death. But she knew, in her heart, that she would never cause him to suffer. Besides which, he might have another motive in revealing his location. What if Athrun expected her to pass on the name of his motel? He might be arranging a sting to catch the Hibiki assassins. Or, if she came alone, he might be plotting to kidnap her, using her for leverage against her family.

With sudden alarm, she realized that Athrun's apparent trust might have something to do with Nicol Alexandre. Did he even know about their son? His son? Though he hadn't mentioned Nicol Alexandre, this might be part of a plot to steal her child. So many devious possibilities lay beneath the surface. As a daughter of the Hibiki family, she learned to navigate the twists and turns of the criminal mind. She must always beware of murky deceptions.

And yet, as she had stated, Cagalli Hibiki was dead. She was Yula Attha, a law-abiding citizen who expected honesty.

She looked at Athrun again. Frankly, she demanded, "Why should I come to this place? Why should I believe a single word you've told me?"

An infinitesimal twitch at the corner of his left eye was the only warning before Athrun closed the space between them with a few quick strides. His arms surrounded her. His mouth slanted across hers.

Furiously, she fought his kiss. She twisted her body, but his strength was too great. He held her even more tightly. Cagalli wrenched back her head and prepared to scream at him.

"Trust me," he whispered.

His emerald eyes shone with mesmerizing light. He was the man she had dreamed about, night after lonely night, the only man who had ever touched her soul. Someone help her, she wanted his kiss. With every fiber of her being, she yearned for him.

He held her nape gently. His lips pressed against hers. Her resistance ebbed, swift as the retreating surf across smooth, shimmering sands. Her eyelids closed in a swoon. Lifted beyond reality into a netherworld, she welcomed the flow of passion through her veins, awakening dormant sensation. Her arms clung to him. She kissed back, releasing years of longing.

He was alive and in her arms. She treasured this precious moment.

He ended their kiss and stepped away from her. Silent as a shadow, he went through the door and closed it behind him.

Cagalli was left wondering if this meeting had really happened. Her fingertips touched her moist lips where the taste of Athrun still lingered. She had to see him again. Slipping the card with the name of the motel into her pocket, she went to the door and prepared herself to face her brother's funeral.

Outside, at the end of the first hallway, Ms. Murrue stood waiting. "Are you all right?" she asked.

Cagalli nodded. "How did you come to be friendly with Athrun Zala?"

"Like you, I first knew him as Alex Dino. When you two started seeing each other, he came to me for advice."

"Why?" She was curious.

"Well, he couldn't very well talk to your grandfather. Ulen Hibiki had let it be known that you were off-limits."

Cagalli was well aware of her grandfather's decree. Most men ran in terror when they learned her name was Hibiki. But not Athrun. He hadn't pursued her, but he certainly hadn't pushed her away. "He told you about our relationship?"

"Remember, that both of you were very young. Only nineteen. Only a year out of high school. And he was one of your grandfather's men. He didn't want to take advantage."

"What did you tell him?"

"The truth," said Ms. Murrue. "You had to grow up more quickly than most girls. In your nineteen years, you'd experienced more than your share of sorrow and responsibility. I assured him that you were capable of making your own decisions and taking care of yourself."

"You were correct."

Sometimes, Cagalli thought she'd been born an adult. She'd met Alex, now known as Athrun, with her eyes wide open and would never regret their earth-shaking nights of passion. She wasn't sorry for moments that felt so right, lovemaking that brought her a son, Nicol Alexandre, the light of her life.

"Now, you have another decision," Ms. Murrue said. Her tone was brisk, almost businesslike. "Your grandmother is here. She's alone in an anteroom with the coffin. Do you want to go there?"

"Yes." She answered without hesitation. Cagalli owed her escape to Grandmother Via.

Once again, Ms. Murrue showed her to a closed door and stationed herself outside. "I'll make sure no one bothers you."

Cagalli stepped inside. The air was redolent with the mysterious scents of flowers. Beside the casket was a gray-haired woman whose head is dropped yet in a graceful manner. Her eyes closed. With a small hand, she caressed the gleaming coffin.

"Grandmother," Cagalli called.

Via rose slowly to her feet. Sorrow kept the smile from her grandmother's face nevertheless she held herself erect. A proud woman, much stronger than anyone expected, Via had learned to cope with tragedy. "Come."

Cagalli stepped forward. There would be no embrace. No show of emotion. The women of Hibiki accepted their fate without weeping.

Via took both of Cagalli's hands and squeezed hard before nodding toward the coffin. "Say goodbye to your brother."

Drawing from her grandmother's dignified example, Cagalli straightened her shoulders. Woodenly, she moved to the open top of the coffin. Kira's eyes were closed. His cheeks, sunken. His skin was colored by an unnatural pallor. Cagalli barely recognized the grown man. Instead, she saw a brown haired boy, her older brother, who had defended her on the asphalt playground outside Archangel Academy after their mother passed away. The other kids had taunted that her mother deserved to die, that all Hibiki were poison, especially her. Poison Cagalli, poison lily. With his fists and supposedly long but unfortunately had run out patience, Kira made it clear that anybody who messed with his sister would face his wrath.

Although he doesn't always show it, Kira had always acted as her protector. When she needed him, he was there for her… except at the very end of their time together when she left the family to have her baby. Kira would never have understood why she needed to escape the clutches of the Hibiki. Family was everything to him. Above all, he was loyal, and that loyalty had killed him.

Cagalli fought the hot tears that threatened to spill from her eyes and moisten Kira's crisp white shirt. Her skin felt hot, flushed with the effort of self-control. "Oh Kira, you could have been so much more," she whispered silently.

She placed a final kiss on his cold cheek and stepped away from the coffin to face her grandmother.

"He had no children," Via said. "His wife was barren."

Cagalli nodded. In frequent letters from Via delivered to the anonymous post office box, her grandmother had made clear her disappointment with Kira's wife, Flay Allster, a beautiful but annoying twit who was not worthy of the family name. Secretly, Cagalli suspected that Kira's wife was infertile by choice and not ready to give up the flashy nightlife for the role of motherhood.

She reached into the pocket of her skirt and pulled out two snapshots, her latest pictures of Nicol Alexandre. "These are for you."

As she gazed at the photographs, Via's lips almost smiled. "Such a handsome boy."

"And he's doing well in school. All A's in his report card even if he was accelerated to grade 1 which is too early for his age."

"What about sports?"

"He took swimming and now he's learning to play soccer. He's a forward." She glanced back at the coffin. "Like Kira."

"You've done a good job," her grandmother said. "You were right to leave Mendel Colony, to protect your child. But now, things have changed."

"What do you mean?"

"Kira is dead," she said simply. "Your son, Nicol Alexandre, is the only male heir."

"Heir to what?" A shiver chased down Cagalli's spine. Apprehensively, she watched the hint of a mile fall from her grandmother's face. "What are you telling me?"

Via said, "I'm sorry."

A small rear door swung open. Ulen Hibiki strode into the anteroom. Though in his early seventies, his fierce strength remained undiminished. With broad shoulders thrown back, he looked like he could wrestle a lion. His thick white mane bristled with energy. He stood before her, blocking any chance of escape.

He didn't bother to say hello or welcome back. His mouth barely moved as he issued his implacable proclamation.

"I want the boy."

* * *


	3. The Chase is On

Same disclaimer applies from prologue. Not beta-read. I'm so drained. So sorry.

Warning: Lacus and Rey are OC in here. But it was needed in their part for the twist of the story.

* * *

Chapter 2: The Chase is On

* * *

Betrayed! Cagalli's last thread of trust – the bond she'd shared with Grandmother Via – was severed. Cagalli had no allies, no support, nowhere to turn. All alone, she stood at the foot of her brother's coffin and faced her grandfather, the patriarch of the Hibiki Family.

Her gaze locked with his. She would never allow him to take her son. Never!

"Where is he?" Ulen Hibiki asked.

"With friends back in Orb." Cagalli glanced toward her grandmother. Not even Via knew the identities of the Attha's. For the moment, at least, Nicol Alexandre would be safe.

"Contact them," her grandfather said.

"I can't," Cagalli said. "They've gone camping in the mountains. There's no way to each them."

"On a school day?" her grandfather questioned. "You allow your son to miss school for a camping trip?"

"Not usually." She didn't have to defend her mothering skills to him. "This is a special occasion. His friend's birthday. Besides, being absent never lets him fall back from the lesson."

"After the funeral, you will help me find these friends. I wish to speak to my grandson."

_Never!_ "I'll try." She lied.

Though willing to fight to the death, Cagalli knew that obvious resistance was useless. To defeat her grandfather, she must outsmart him, to be even more sly and crafty than Ulen Hibiki. She was forced to lie. And she would, gladly and successfully. If it meant saving her son, she'd wage a war of duplicity. She could do this! Hibiki blood flowed through her veins. Deception was her birthright. She'd use every necessary untruth to hide her anger and her fear. There was no other choice.

Cagalli took the photographs of Nicol Alexandre from her Grandmother Via. With a false smile, she presented them to her grandfather. "This is my son, Nicol Alexandre."

As he looked at the snapshots, the blaze in his eyes diminished. Ulen Hibiki studied both pictures with obvious pleasure. For a moment, she thought her ferocious grandfather was on the verge of sentiment. "He looks like your father. And your brother."

_Both dead_. Cagalli steeled herself against her natural affection toward this man who had held her as a child and taken her to the zoo and told her bedtime stories. She could not allow herself to love him again.

When Ulen raised his head, his lower lip quivered. He held his arms wide, "Cagalli, come to me."

She stepped into his arms, aware that she was dancing with danger. Yet, she felt comforted by his acceptance. Strange warmth spread through her. This was where she belonged. This was her heritage, preordained by centuries of tragic Hibiki.

He whispered, "When I heard Kira was killed, I thought I would die myself."

"I know." She'd felt the same way. Despite her loathing for her grandfather and all he presented, her natural grief rose up and joined with his. Tears swelled at the corners of her eyes, and she longed to give vent to her intense sorrow, to weep hysterically.

She fought for control, needing to keep her wits about her. More important than her sadness was her son's future. In order to insure he had a future, she had to escape the clutches of Ulen Hibiki.

He held her at arm's length, searching her face for signs of acquiescence. "Things are different now with the Hibiki's."

She didn't believe him. If 'things' were different, there would have been no reason for Kira's murder.

"You'll see," Ulen said. "We have legitimate businesses. An accountant. I've opened a wine shop."

"A liquor store," Via corrected sharply.

He turned back to Cagalli. "Your grandmother is a hard woman. But you'll understand. You'll see. Your son will be safe with us."

_Like Kira?_ Through gritted teeth, she lied, "It's good to be home."

"That's my girl!" He clapped her shoulders and beamed. His attitude reminded her of beast toying with his prey before he tore limb from limb and devoured his hapless victim. "Come with me."

"Of course." There was no other option. All doors would be guarded by her grandfather's foot soldiers. She must time her escape carefully.

Wrapping an arm around her waist, he guided her toward the exit from the room. With every appearance of innocence, Ulen said, "I have more unfortunate news."

She braced herself. "Yes?"

"You once were fond of Alex Dino. You remember?"

Had Athrun been caught in the basement? Was he dead? Though she felt a burst of alarm, Cagalli showed no signs of apprehension. "I remember him."

"We thought he'd been killed, but it wasn't true. It was Alex Dino who murdered your brother."

Athrun had warned her that this would be the accepted story, and she was more inclined to believe him than her grandfather. "I can't believe it," she said. "Why would Alex Dino shoot Kira?"

"I don't yet know."

_Liar!_ Surely, her grandfather knew that Alex Dino was really Athrun Zala, a Zaft Agent.

He continued, "But I'll find out why. And I will have my revenge. Alex Dino will pay with his life."

Cagalli could hold back no longer. "Two minutes ago, you said things were different. Now you're talking about another murder. Which is it, _grandfather_? Are you a legitimate wine merchant or a crime boss?"

"I take care of my family."

That was always the reason, the excuse for inexcusable crime. Locked in her grandfather's iron grasp, she went through the door into a corridor, leaving Grandmother Via alone with the coffin to mourn. Nothing had changed. Nothing ever would.

As she and Ulen walked slowly along the side aisle, Cagalli searched for a way out. Beneath the vaulted ceilings and stained glass windows, men in dark suits stood guard. Awaiting her grandfather's orders, his men sat stoically in polished oak pews. Their presence emphasized the futility of any attempted flight.

Her grandfather escorted her down a flight of stairs to a room near the front of the cemetery. It was also was also the room were the immediate family waited before a funeral. Several people had gathered. Their nervous chatter ceased when Ulen Hibiki entered. Furtive silence ensued. Every gaze slid toward Cagalli and her grandfather.

Ulen spoke without raising his voice. "Into every dark sorrow comes a ray of light. My granddaughter, Cagalli Hibiki, returns to the family."

He nodded for her to speak to this gathering of strangers who were all too familiar. Distant cousins, aunts and uncles – all ages and sizes – ranged before her like a family portrait come to life. She couldn't hate them, but she would never willingly take her place among the Hibiki. What would she say? Only the truth. "I loved my twin brother, Kira, and I regret the years we've been apart. He should have not died so young. On this day, I share my grief with all of you."

A stoop-shouldered woman with silver hair piled high beneath a black lace mantilla took Cagalli's hands and kissed both cheeks. "Welcome," she said.

Then came another and another in a bizarre ritual, bringing her back to the fold. Each greeting piled on another heavy layer of remorse, suffocating her lungs, killing her gently with their forgiveness.

Fifteen minutes before the funeral was scheduled to begin, she found herself talking to her cousin, Rey Za Burrel, who had been only a year below of her at Archangel Academy. A former football player, Rey's muscle had gone to fat. His usually long silky blonde tresses is now thinned, he looked much older than 24.

Cagalli would've expected Rey to be next in line after her grandfather, but he wasn't being treated with the deference reserved for a boss.

"What have you been up to?" Cagalli asked.

"This and that," he said. "Went to college. Busted up my knee real bad so I couldn't play football anymore. Got married. Three daughters." He shrugged. "I guess I got lucky because they take after their mother, Lunamaria. They're real smart. My oldest wants to be a lawyer."

They were joined by a stylish, pink-haired woman in a snug black jersey dress. She had a figure to die for. Lacus Clyne, another cousin, was the same age as she was. "Cagalli," she said in a mellow voice. "I used to play with you and Kira. Remember?"

"How could I forget?" Lacus had been the coolest teenager in the neighborhood. A student council leader. The star of the high school play. "I sometimes want to be like you, an actress in lots of play."

"Well I sometimes do want your position as the head cheerleader. But then again, I am the star of the plays. Now, things change." An edge of bitterness marred her precise beauty. Cagalli remembered that Lacus's husband, Heine Westenfluss, had spent 4 years in prison after the shoot-out when she thought Alex, now Athrun, had died."

"Where have you been?" Lacus asked.

"Here and there." Cagalli didn't want to give particulars that made her easier to find. "I had my share of catering service."

"You had always loved cooking," Lacus said. "Is there a husband?"

"Not yet," Cagalli said. "Tell me about your kids."

"Mia and Rusty are nearly grown. Both in grade school." She linked arms with Cagalli, sweeping her away from Rey Za Burrel. "Come with me to the ladies' room. We need some girl talk."

This woman was both girlish and strong. Power radiated from Lacus Clyne. If she'd been born male, Lacus would certainly have been ruling the family roost.

The plain, three-stall bathroom was empty, and Lacus wasted no words. "Alex Dino has come back from the dead. He was your lover, wasn't he?"

"Lacus, that's ancient history."

"He gave you a child." Her blue eyes bored hard into Cagalli's face. "A son."

"I have a son," Cagalli said, careful not to acknowledge that Athrun was the father.

"An heir to the Hibiki family name. Your grandfather wants the boy here."

"I don't understand why," Cagalli said. "It's not like we're royalty or anything. If my grandfather wants to groom an heir, why not look to Rey Za Burrel. He has - ?"

"Female children," Lacus said insensitively. "We call Robert the girl-maker. He's not a leader."

She turned away and studied her reflection in the bathroom mirror. She placed her black leather purse on the counter and removed a tube of lipstick. As she prepared to reapply her makeup, she avoided Cagalli's gaze. Cousin Lacus was hiding something. A clenching in her jaw betrayed her tension. What did she want? Power and wealth, Cagalli deduced, because Lacus was not the sort of woman who cared so much about loving or being loved. She wanted her children to rise to power in the family.

The thought disgusted Cagalli. She couldn't imagine thrusting Nicol Alexandre into this arena. Any woman who would sacrifice her children was a frightening creature.

Quietly, Cagalli asked, "What about you? You could run the family."

"I didn't marry the right man," Lacus said. "Ulen doesn't like Heine. No one can doubt his loyalty, but my husband is difficult. Angry. Brooding. After prison, he was never quite the same."

As Lacus applied pink lipstick with an unshaken hand, Cagalli had the impression that this woman was strong enough for both herself and her husband – ferocious enough to lead an army to battle, taking no prisoners.

The question was: Why had Lacus made a point seeking her out? Her intention in bringing Cagalli into the bathroom was certainly not for girl talk. "Was there something you wanted to say to me?"

"I want to stay in touch." She removed a small gold case from her purse and took out a business card. "This is my personal cell phone. Call me anytime."

Though Cagalli slipped the card inside her pocket, she couldn't imagine they'd ever be friends. "I appreciate the gesture, Lacus."

"But you really don't plan to stick around, do you? You don't care fro the family business. Six years ago, when it came time for us to stand together, you ran." Her alto voice resonated with disdain. "I suspect you don't want your son to be involved with the Hibiki."

"Very perceptive." Cagalli said coolly.

"I suspect," Cagalli said, "that you would run away again if given a chance."

As she replaced her lipstick in her purse, she removed a set of keys which she left on the countertop. "It's the black Corvette in the first row of the parking lot."

Turning on her heel, she left the ladies' room.

Cagalli snatched the keys. She turned toward the garden level casement window. It'd be easy to climbed out and escape. Almost too easy.

No doubt, Lacus was setting her up. If Cagalli ran, she'd be out of favor with her grandfather. She would also be beyond his protection. Whoever had killed Kira might come after her.

But if she stayed, Cagalli was trapped. Nicol Alexandre would be brought here. He'd be indoctrinated into the family business.

She had to take this chance.

* * *

Inside the motel room, Athrun stood at the edge of the window, peering through the slit between the knobby brown curtain and stucco wall. The Riverside Inn was a two-story structure with rooms on both sides. He'd chosen a spot on the first floor near the end of the building. From this vantage point, he could see the motel office and the asphalt parking lot. His own rental car was parked on the opposite side of the building, ready for a quick escape if Cagalli, who now called herself, Yula, chose to reveal his location to her family.

Arranging a meeting with her had violated every principle of undercover work. Athrun had allowed his emotions to overwhelm common sense. He'd revealed too much. Like a rookie, he'd risked his entire operation for a few moments of gratification. For one kiss.

But what a kiss! He didn't honestly regret one second of the time he'd spent with her in the academy basement. She was everything he remembered and more. Strong, principled, full of life, she was even lovelier than when she was a 19 year old virgin who gave her love so sweetly to him. He treasured that indelible memory. Their first night together had become a fantasy. If he closed his eyes, Athrun could remember the feel of her satin skin. He could see her surprised look of arousal. Her amber eyes widened. She gasped. And then came her soft cries of delight.

His dream woman. She stirred his blood. The mere thought of her excited him.

He stared at the parking lot. Once again, he was violating the dictates of undercover work. He had trusted a potential enemy and left himself vulnerable, but he didn't care. Cagalli Hibiki was worth the risk.

He remembered Kira, her brother. Poor guy. In that restaurant, he never stood a chance. Shinn Asuka had been lying in wait. But why? That discovery was Athrun's mission – a job not sanctioned by the Zaft or anybody else. Other law enforcement people were involved. Other agents. And members of the Hibiki family. Who were they? And why, damn it, why had the Hibiki arranged a hit on Kira?

He checked his wristwatch. 2:45pm. He'd promised to stay here until 4pm. In the next hour and fifteen minutes, the course of his future might be determined. Either she would come to him or not. He hardly dared to hope. If she came to him…

A black Corvette with temporary tags roared into the parking lot and squealed to a stop outside his window. Cagalli bolted from the car. Her confused gaze darted. She didn't know which room was his.

A well-trained undercover agent would've stayed inside, not revealing himself with anything more than a subtle gesture. He would've exerted caution and patience. But Athrun wasn't thinking like a Zaft agent. He was only a man.

He flung open the door to his room and strode toward her. His arms enveloped her. He inhaled the clean fragrance of her hair. She was everything he'd ever wanted.

"Back off!" she ordered.

"You came to me." Ignoring her protest, he embraced her more tightly, hanging onto a dream that just might come true. "You're here."

"Well, duh!" forcibly, she shoved free. "Listen, Athrun. Or whoever you are. We've got to move. Now."

"Damn, your beautiful." Her golden hair was mussed. Her white silk blouse had come partially untucked from the black skirt. Her breath came in grasps. Her cheeks flushed pink with excitement.

She wanted him. He knew she wanted him.

"Athrun!" she shouted. "Did you hear me?"

He nodded, not trusting himself to speak without bursting into a sonnet to describe her melodious voice and fantastic –

"We got to go," she said. "My grandfather's men could be here any minute."

"Why?"

Cagalli rolled her eyes. "Because I escaped from the funeral. I snuck through the bathroom window and stole a car."

"Nice wheels," he noted.

"But a little obvious," she said. "Somebody could have followed me."

He doubted her logic. If she'd picked up a tail, they'd be here by now.

And there they were. Two full-sized sedans rounded the motel office and tore across the motel parking lot, aiming directly at them. Athrun snapped a mental Polaroid, memorizing make, model and license plate number for future reference. Then, he grabbed Cagalli's hand and dove into his motel room.

"I told you so." She said.

"Yes, you did." And it was a little grating for her to mention that fact. He didn't need to be reminded of his tactical errors.

Crossing the motel room, Athrun went through the door into a hallway that ran the length of the building. Pulling Cagalli along with him, he used his key on a room at the opposite side of the hall which he had also reserved. They entered a room that was a mirror image of the one they'd just left, except it opened onto a rear parking lot where his rental car awaited. "We go out this way."

"Got it." She said.

We went first. He could already hear gunfire from the opposite side of the Inn. Athrun yanked his pistol from the holster attached to his belt.

At his car, he signaled to Cagalli. "Get in the passenger side and duck down."

She quickly obeyed.

He slid behind the wheel of a midsize rental car with just enough juice fore decent acceleration. He couldn't risk his big toys on this one, a black BMW F 800 ST and a red Lexus SC 430. If the fates were with them, their assailants would be busy on the other side and wouldn't realize they'd fled until they were on their way.

No such luck. A bullet pinged against the side of the car. He lowered the window and fired back, then glanced at Cagalli who was crouched on the floor under the dashboard.

"Give me your gun," she said. "I'll return fire."

He'd prefer if she stayed in a more protected position.

"Give me the damn gun!"

Another bullet. He had no choice for now so he handed over the pistol. While he drove, she poked the gun through the open window and fired blindly in the direction of their attackers.

Athrun raced to the end of the parking lot and merged into a steady flow of traffic. Less than a mile from here was the entry ramp to a major interstate highway. Dodging from lane to lane, barely squeaking through every orange light before it turned red, he drove past the interstate. "Are they tailing us?"

Cagalli craned her neck to see through the rear window. "I don't think so. Where are we going?"

He'd studied the maps but hadn't made firm plans. They approached the intersection of two routes, offering three possible directions for their escape. He made his decision and turned left. "We're headed south."

The four lane road stretched past strips of malls and gas stations before narrowing to a two-lane. Athrun pulled into a café parking lot to watch the flow of traffic.

"What are you doing?" she demanded.

"I'm making sure they're not coming this way." None of the passing cars matched the description he'd memorized. Though their flight had been sloppy, it had worked. His advance planning had paid off. "I think were okay on this route. Give me my gun back."

"I don't think so," she said.

He took his eyes off the road and stared into her beautiful but determined amber eyes. What the hell was going on? "Give the gun back. Now."

"It doesn't make sense for you to have the gun. You need to concentrate on driving. I'm riding shotgun. That's what passenger seat is called, you know. Riding shotgun."

"Cute." But she wasn't an agent. Cagalli was the woman of his dreams. "Are you a marksman?"

"That's not the point," she said. "And shouldn't we be moving on?"

He couldn't believe that she was questioning his authority and trying to call the shots. However, she was correct. He ought to be on the road, putting distance between them and the Hibiki.

Silently, he put the car in gear, exited the café parking lot and headed south, unsure of their final destination. For now, he needed to stay in Mendel City area to pursue his investigation. Tomorrow, he planned to pick up the surveillance cameras he had placed at the Academy to find out who had attended Kira's funeral. He wondered if Shinn Asuka had the guts to show up, to stand beside the coffin of the man he'd murdered. If Shinn was there, who was with him? Who were the other agents who allied themselves with the Hibiki?

As he drove, he became aware of Cagalli staring at him. "What is it?" he asked.

"I'm trying to decide if I can trust you."

"Are you kidding? I've been a Zaft agent since my late teenage years. I'm a senior agent. I teach classes all around Plants."

"That doesn't mean you're trustworthy," she said. "Six years ago, you were good enough at deception to fool my whole family. And me."

"That was my job."

"And now? What's your current assignment?"

"This time, it's personal," he said. "I need to find out why your brother was murdered."

"I see." Cagalli hadn't expected that response. She'd thought he was, once again working on an elaborate takedown of the Hibiki.

She leaned back in her seat and stared through the windshield. Though she didn't believe in her grandfather's brand of vengeance, she was strangely touched that Athrun was concerned about finding justice for her brother. "I didn't think you even like Kira."

"He was your brother." Athrun shrugged. "That made him important to me."

And how would he feel when he learned he had a son? Cagalli wasn't sure she should tell him. Nicol Alexnadre was her child, her baby. She'd raised him all by herself and had done a fine job for a single mother who showed up pregnant in Orb, not knowing a soul. Introducing a brand-new father would be traumatic to say the least.

She looked down at her lap. Her hands curled around the handle of the black automatic pistol. Her fingers were visibly trembling. She willed herself to stop but couldn't. Detached, she observed this strange quaking in her hands. Was she in shock? Get a grip!

This was a belated reaction to having her life threatened. When they were escaping from the motel, she hadn't acknowledged her fear, didn't allow herself to imagine that she could've been shot or killed. The reality sank in. She could be dead right now. Like Kira. Cold in his coffin. Dead up like all the other Hibiki. The tremors marched up her arm, and she shivered.

"Are you cold?" Athrun asked.

"A little scared." Defensively, she added. "Just a little."

"I never would've guessed. You handled yourself like a pro."

"A professional agent or criminal? Do I remind you of someone who regularly engages in gun battles? Who goes for high-speed chases in stolen Corvettes?" she hadn't intended to snap at him, but she welcomed the outburst of anger that stifled her fear. "I am Hibiki, you know."

"As if I could forget."

The tone of his voice cooled by several degrees, and she could feel him pulling away from her. Good. She didn't need Athrun Zala, no matter what his mission. "I'll always be a Hibiki."

"You said it yourself, so I'll just stick to calling you Cagalli. Period." He said. "And oh, I meant to compliment you. When those guys were coming after us, you were smart and quick."

That wasn't how she felt right now. She wanted to scream hysterically at the top of her lungs and give vent to her unbearable tension building inside her. Her nerves stretched tight as the head of a snare drum. Her pulse beating sharp. She was nervous about her safety and terrified for Nicol Alexandre. "Suit yourself. Just bring me to the airport."

"Not possible."

"Do I need to remind you that I'm the one with a gun in my hand?"

"There's no way you can catch a flight without someone noticing," he said. "We're being pursued by two different factions. Your grandfather's men. And a group of Zaft agents who have convinced the forces that I'm a renegade. They'll want to bring you in for questioning."

"But I haven't done anything," she protested.

"Life isn't fair."

Implacably, he continued to drive along the southern route leading to nowhere. His hand on the wheel was steady. No tremors there. Athrun was accustomed to danger. With his emerald eyes trained on the road, he drove at a same responsible speed. His clam manner reassured her. Athrun seemed like a man who could handle any crisis. He radiated a masculine aura of capability.

Cagalli ordered her lungs to exhale again. Her panic had begun to wane. Studying Athrun soothed her. His features were sharply chiseled and his deep-set eyes held a lifetime of unspoken expression. She could see a strong resemblance to her son. Not a bad thing. She wouldn't mind if Nicol Alexandre grew up to look like his father with those shoulders and strong wrists.

Cagalli wished she could simply ride along and admire the scenery, but she had important things to do. "I have to get back to Orb."

"How?"

"Airport," she repeated, exasperated by his unwillingness to comprehend.

"I told you before. The Zaft Forces is looking for you. That mean you can't take any form of public transportation. With the current level of airport security and surveillance, you wouldn't make it to the ticket counter before somebody picked you up." He glanced toward her. "The best way to get there is to have your own shuttle."

"I don't have a shuttle, not as Yula that is," she said. There wasn't much time. Her grandfather would track down the friends Nicol Alexandre is staying with. The Hibiki would grab her son before she could rescue him. "May be I can charter a shuttle?"

He shook his head. "Surveillance, again."

How could she keep Nicol Alexandre safe? She had to find a way. "I need to be in Orb."

"What's the big rush anyway? Your job? A boyfriend?"

There was no way to convince him of the urgency of her situation without inventing a stinky bouquet of lies. She had to tell him the truth.

At least, mostly the truth. She wouldn't reveal to Athrun that he was the father of her son. Instead of saying Nicol Alexandre was almost six; she'd subtract a year from his age. She would also drop out his second name, Alexandre, for he might wonder if she named her son after his old name 'Alex'. Her son is Nicol, almost five years old. Athrun would never guess the truth.

She stared at Athrun's handsome profile and said. "The reason I need to hurry back to Orb is that… I have a son."

* * *


	4. Contradiction

Same disclaimer applies from prologue. Not beta-read. I'm so drained. So sorry.

Warning: This chapter my bore you since it's mostly talking.

* * *

Chapter 3: Contradiction

* * *

"You have a son." Athrun repeated her words, allowing them to sink into his consciousness like a depth charge blasting the hull of a torpedo.

She had a son? How had that happened? Well, of course, he knew how. He just didn't like to think of it. The idea of Cagalli and another man didn't fit his view of the world. She was _his woman_.

His fingers tightened on the steering wheel as he imagined this other man. This faceless interloper. Athrun's foot tromped the accelerator pedal as he raced through an orange light on the stoplight. _She had a son_. "I didn't know you were married."

"I'm not. And I wasn't."

"The father?"

"He's out of the picture," she said. "Long gone. I've told my son that his father is dead."

From the snarly tone of her voice, Athrun deduced that she'd be glad if this guy actually was deceased. That was some reassurance. At least she wasn't in love with the jerk who'd seduced and abandoned her.

He hit the accelerator again to pass a slow-moving vehicle before the route narrowed into a two large ribbon wending through open fields. He buzzed open the window, thinking he might clear his head with the scent of new growth, but the only smell was the hot meal, gas-dribbling stench of traffic. Not pretty. Not perfume.

Her revelation would take some mental adjusting on his part. "How old is your boy?"

"He has a name," she said. "It's Nicol. Nicol Attha. And he's almost five years old."

Another bombshell struck. It didn't take a calculator to figure the timing. Six years ago, Cagalli fled from Mendel Colony and settled in Orb. Approximately a year later, she gave birth. She must have met Nicol's father within a few months after arriving in her new hometown.

While Athrun had been recovering from his wounds after the final shootout with the Hibiki and then initiating a frantic search for her, she'd been with another guy. The woman of his dreams hadn't wasted much time before moving on with her life. A few lousy months were a damned fast turnaround, even if she'd thought he was dead at the time. A guppy would have been more faithful to his memory.

Harshly, he asked, "How did you get pregnant? You told me you were on birth control?"

"I thought I was protected. If you remember, I wasn't very sophisticated when it cam to sex. Apparently, I was doing something wrong."

"Apparently," he echoed. Sleeping with another man when she could have been mourning Athrun's supposed death in Mendel Colony was wrong. Dead wrong. They'd shared the love of the century. True love. Couldn't she have waited? At least a year. Maybe two years.

His perfect fantasy woman was turning into someone he didn't know. Yula Attha. A single mother from Orb with a complicated life.

"My son," she said, "is why I need to get back home. Do you understand?"

"Not really. I'm sure you left him with somebody responsible."

"Of course, I did," she said huffily. "I happen to be a very good mother."

The two-lane highway ahead was blocked by an ancient rattletrap forcing him to slow down. Forty miles per hour. Thirty. He crept along with no chance to pass on the winding road, stuck in second gear, frustration building on every level. "So, what's the big rush to get back to your son?"

"When Kira was killed, my son became the only direct descendant of Ulen Hibiki," she explained. "My grandfather wants to bring my son here in Mendel Colony so he can be groomed to take over the family business."

"And you don't what that to happen."

"Never," she said vehemently. "I've taught my son the difference between right and rong. I didn't raise him to be a criminal."

Though Athrun agreed that Ulen Hibiki was a bad influence, he had another interpretation of the situation. It was possible that Ulen only wanted to meet his grandson and have a chance to love the boy – a perfectly natural urge for a grandfather. "Have you told Ulen how you feel about the family business?"

"According to my grandfather, things have changed. Hibikis are on the up and up. They have a wine shop. Blah, blah, blah, blah. It's all a lie."

"How do you know? You've been gone."

"Nothing has changed. My grandmother sits beside the coffin, silently mourning another tragic loss, tearing another piece from her soul. My cousins circle like sharks waiting to gain influence. My brother is murdered. Have you forgotten so quickly, Athrun? We were pursued by armed men. They came after us with guns blazing."

"We don't know your grandfather sent them," he said. "In fact, I consider it quickly. No matter what you think of Ulen, he wouldn't put out a hit on his own granddaughter."

She sank back against the passenger seat. When he glanced over at her, she seemed deflated. Some of the wind had left her sails, and he couldn't help feeling a little bit sorry for her. Though Cagalli wasn't the tender goddess he remembered, Athrun sympathized with her confusion. Somebody was after her. She didn't know who. She didn't know why they anted to harm her.

Her dilemma wasn't too far removed from his own position as a supposedly renegade agent. However, Athrun had years of experience in dealing with subterfuge and undercover operations. Plus, he didn't have a kid to worry about.

Slowly, she shook her head. Her silky, golden hair fell forward and obscured her face. She still held the gun in her lap. "If not my grandfather, then who? Who sent those thugs?"

It was the same people who ordered the hit on Kira. The obvious conclusion solidified in his mind. There was another faction in the Hibiki Family who wanted to take over the family crime business. With Kira gone, there was only Ulen to contend with. And Cagalli's young son. The boy might be in real danger.

Athrun decided against revealing this logic to Cagalli. She'd only get more hostile. Instead, he probed for information. "Suppose there's someone in your family who wants to take over from Ulen. Who so you think it might be?"

"Lacus," she said without a second thought.

He clarified, "Your cousin, Lacus Clyne. Why her?"

"I didn't steal her car. She kind of gave me the keys."

"Kind of?"

"She left them where I could take them and mentioned that she drove a black Corvette." Cagalli's fists clenched as if she were trying to hold onto a viable conclusion. "I suspected a setup at the time. Now, I'm sure of it."

"You're probably right," Athrun said.

"She pretended to be so friendly. Even gave me her card with her cell phone number. Can you believe she set me up? My own cousin!"

Athrun wasn't too shocked by anything that happened within the Hibiki Family. When it came to intrigues, they're one of the best. "I've had my eye on her husband, Heine."

Cagalli shook her head. "Heine doesn't have the temperament for a boss. Lacus said he was never the same after prison. Trust me on this. Lacus is the strong one in that family."

He remembered Lacus – an incredibly beautiful woman with the temperament of a she-tiger. But could she stage a successful takeover? "I don't think the Hibiki men would ever accept a woman as a boss."

"Maybe not," Cagalli said, "but Lacus could be the power behind the throne, shoving her husband forward to takeover."

"What about Rey Za Burel? He's another cousin."

"Everybody laughs at him. He has three daughters, and they call him the girl-maker." She rolled her eyes. "My family is so politically incorrect."

"Engaging in organized crime generally has that effect," Athrun said.

"If they're coming after me," she said, "imagine what they'd do to my son. I can't stand this!"

Driving behind the slow-moving, decrepit truck was making him crazy. The line of cars behind them had grown into a snaking caravan. Some were honking.

Up ahead, he spotted a diner, so designated by a sign that said: Diner. He flicked the turn signal and exited. "Hungry?"

"How can you think of food at a time like this?"

"It's almost five o'clock. Dinner time."

"I don't want to stop," she said. "If we keep driving, we might have an idea on how to go back to Orb. Maybe in Mendel Colony-L1 we can go? If we drive twenty-four seven, we can make it to L1 by late tomorrow night. Then I can find an unlicensed shuttle for rent."

"That may be a good idea. But that's highway driving."

"Of course," she said. "Did you have some other route in mind? Planning on a little sight-seeing?"

"Cruising in the interstate is risky. There could be patrol cars, looking for us. Not to mention aircraft surveillance. Besides, I have some business to take care of here in L3 area before we leave."

"Fine," she said. "Drop me off. I can manage by myself."

He was tempted to do exactly that. Chauffeuring her across the L-Colonies interfered with his investigation. But he couldn't abandon her. Not when she was a target for the Hibiki. "Here's the deal, Cagalli. I'll get you back to Orb in one piece. And I have some ideas on how we can take care of your son in the meantime."

"Okay. Let's keep going."

"Not going to happen." He parked the rental car in the rear lot behind the diner. "Your part of this deal is that you do what I say. No whining. No second-guessing. Agreed?"

"I don't have much choice." She glared at hi. Her lips were tight, but for once she didn't argue. "Agreed."

Was she actually conceding? Or did she have something else in mind. He said, "I want my gun back. Now."

Again, she obeyed. Her suddenly docile attitude made him suspicious. All day long, she'd been sniping at him. Now, Cagalli was acting like a Ms. Congeniality.

He tucked his gun into the holster, got out of the car and slipped into his black jacket. Circling the rental car, he inspected the damage to the rear fender. Three bullet holes. One was only a few inches away from the gas line. It could have sparked an explosion, could have been a lethal hit.

Cagalli stood outside the passenger side door, tucking in her shirt and fussing with her hair. "I don't suppose you have a hairbrush, do you?"

He pulled a black plastic comb from the back pocket of his jeans and handed it over. "Don't ask for my lipstick."

She didn't crack a smile. Something else was on her mind, and he figured that whatever she was plotting meant bad news for him.

In the diner, they sat across from each other in a red plastic booth. As she gazed down at the menu, he studied her. The delicate arch of her eyebrow and the line of her chin still brought to mind the youthful beauty he'd fallen in love with six years ago. But his attitude toward her was different. He no longer saw a fantasy woman. "What do you do for a living in Orb?"

"Part-time owner for a caterer. I made some smart investments when I first moved to town and that pays most of my bills." She glanced up at him. "I spend most of my time with my son. You know, volunteering at his school. Driving car pools."

"You're a sports mom."

"He loves soccer and swimming. And he loves computer games too."

She was definitely _not_ his fantasy woman. Cagalli had both feet planted on the ground. "How about you?" he asked. "What do you do for fun?"

She regarded him blankly. "I told you already. I spend time with my son."

"You used to dance."

She frowned and looked away. "Not anymore."

After they ordered, he leaned across the table toward her and spoke in a low voice. "I still have a few federal contacts who I can trust." Athrun's so-called classmate in Zaft training slash friend slash rival slash best friend slash enemy was in Heliopolis. "We can use them to have your son taken into protective custody until we get to Orb."

"No, thank you. I'll take care of my son." She rearranged her silverware on the table and took a sip of water without looking at him. Avoiding his gaze?

"You're going to handle this all by yourself?"

"All by myself. That's how it's been from the minute he was born." She slid out of the booth. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to the ladies room."

He watched as she strode toward the rest room. Shoulders straight and head held high, she looked a woman with a purpose. Which was? Once before today, she'd slipped out a bathroom window and stolen a car. Was she planning to do it again? Athrun couldn't remember if he'd double-checked the locks on the rental car.

He signaled to the waitress. "Make that order to go. And give me a couple of bottled waters."

Three minutes later, he paid at the register for their burgers. Cagalli still hadn't returned from the restroom.

He left the diner and walked around back. Though no one appeared to be inside his rental car, a window at the rear of the diner hung open. He opened the driver's side door and saw Cagalli leaning across the gear shift and messing with the panel under the steering wheel.

She looked up at him with wide, surprised eyes. Scrambling, she assumed a more normal position in the passenger seat. "I can't quite remember how to hot-wire a car."

"Technology improves everyday," he said. "Grand theft auto is a lot more difficult now."

He slid behind the steering wheel and passed her the bag containing the burgers. He was seriously ticked off. No way would he get into this kind of game-playing with her. His career was at stake. His very life was in danger.

If he was smart, he'd drive back to L3 city and dump her on the doorstep of Ulen Hibiki. That was what she deserved. That was where she belonged.

Beside him, she took a bite of her hamburger. "Good," she said.

He couldn't believe her attitude. He'd found her trying to steal his car, and she wasn't even going to apologize. She expected him to accept her idiotic behavior without rancor or complaint. _Think again!_ "You already betrayed our deal. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't dump you right here?"

"Can't think of one." She sipped her bottled water. "Why don't you tell me?"

Her flippant remark grated against his last nerve. Athrun devoured his hamburger so fast he barely tasted the grease. He stuck the car key in the ignition and started the engine.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"Back toward the city." His tone was clipped and terse. "I have work to do."

"But I need to be in Orb."

Athrun didn't bother to respond or reassure her that he intended to make sure her son was safe. He was calling the shots. If she didn't like his game plan, that was damned too bad.

* * *

Cagalli didn't much care for the motel Athrun had selected for the night, and she hated that they were stopping. Her need to get back to Orb and take care of Nicol had become an obsession. He was her son, her responsibility.

Sitting at the edge of one of the double bed, she watched avidly as Athrun used a cell phone he'd taken from one of the suitcases he unpacked from the trunk. He punched in an interminable series of number, waited for a moment and then hung up.

"What are you doing?" she demanded.

"Taking care of business." His eyes regarded her coldly, and his mouth pursed slightly in a sneer. He looked like he wanted to spit. Ever since she'd tried to hot-wire that car, he's been angry. "I'm arranging for your son to be safe. I need the name, phone number and address of the friends your son is staying with."

Cagalli hesitated. Giving this important information worried her, but she had no choice. If Athrun could provide protection for Nicol, she couldn't hold back. She grabbed a motel notepad and wrote down the data. "I should call my friends and let them know it's okay to let Nicol leave."

"Fine."

She glanced at the cell phone. "Is it safe to talk on that thing? I thought cell phone signals could be picked up."

"This is a secure instrument."

She asked, "Would you mind telling me what's going to happen next?"

"This phone – the secured cell phone – will ring," Athrun said. His impatient tone suggested that she was a complete moron. "I'll Id the safe contact on the other end. He'll arrange for someone in Orb – probably an agent – to pick up Nicol and take him to a safe house."

"How can I trust this person?"

"Because I said so." He glowered at her.

"What's this supposed safe house like?" she asked. "It sounds kind of scary. Will my son be frightened?"

"If he's like most five-year-olds, he'll be excited to play along with a Zaft Force agent." Athrun rifled through one of his suitcases, sorting through equipment. "Kids love this stuff. It's like a game of cops and robbers."

He removed a handgun from his case and checked the ammunition clip. There was another gun – bigger with a long barrel – and other mechanical objects of varying size and shape, including a laptop computer.

"Boys and their toys," she said. Athrun's studious interest in these gadgets reminded her of Nicol. From the time her son was a baby, she'd encouraged him to read books and play with a variety of educational toys designed to enhance more his already enhanced intelligence. It had been a futile effort. Within minutes, Nicol and his little boy buddies transformed the microscope for pre-schoolers into a machine gun and attacked each other with tiny toddler slide rules. The only time Nicol sat still was when he played computer games.

The phone rang. Athrun exchanged information quickly and efficiently. He disconnected and tossed the cell phone over to her. "Call your friends. An agent will be on their doorstep within the hour."

Cagalli contacted her friends, the Simmons, made a purposely vague explanation about something weird happening on her vacation and assured them that it was okay to let Nicol leave with the Zaft agent who would come to their home to pick him up. Then she asked to talk to her son.

"Hi, Mom! How are you?"

"I'm fine," she said. "Listen, honey, I've run into a little problem here. You need to stay with somebody else until I get back to town, okay?"

"Got it. So, who am I supposed to stay with?"

This was the hard part. She didn't want to scare him, but she had to tell him the truth. "The man who will come to pick you up is a Zaft agent. He's going to take you to a safe house."

"Way cool."

He sounded far too calm… even a little bit happy. Probably, he was covering up his fear so she wouldn't worry. Gently, Cagalli said, "Everything is going to be okay. You don't need to be freak out by - "

"A real agent? A Zaftie?"

"Yes, dear. But don't worry, I'll - "

"With like, a real gun and handcuffs and stuff?"

"I suppose so," she said.

"Can I tell people? Or maybe not?" His voice cracked. "Is this, like, a top secret?"

"Let's go with that. Let's call it top secret."

"You got it, Mom." She could almost see him puffing out his skinny chest as he whispered into the phone. "You think they'll show me their guns?"

"I'll be back in Orb as soon as possible," she answered quickly, purposely ignoring his question. "I love you, honey."

"I love you too, Mom. Bye."

She disconnected the call, annoyed by her son's blatant enthusiasm for hanging out with a Zaft agent in a safe house. She would rather he'd been somewhat scared. Slightly cautious.

"How's your son?" Athrun asked. "Is he okay with this?"

"He's thrilled," she said glumly. "He seems to think that real guns and handcuffs are way cool."

Athrun grinned. "I might like this kid."

"Of course, you would." _You're his father_. She silently stumbled over the thought, glad she hadn't spoken aloud.

"You seem overprotective. Like the kind of mom who buys unisex dolls for a boy."

"I tried that," she admitted. "He tore off the doll's arms to look inside. Then he threw her on the roof to see if she could fly."

"That's good," Athrun said. "Doesn't sound like he's suffering from not having a man around the house."

"In my opinion," she said archly, "the presence of a male role is highly overrated."

"That's because you had one. No matter what else might be said about Ulen Hibiki, he's an archetypal male."

Searching her memory, she tried to remember if Athrun had a male role model while he was growing up. He'd claimed to be an orphan, but that was when he called himself Alex Dino. "I don't know anything about you."

"Sure you do. We used to talk."

"I talked to Alex Dino." She had desperately loved Alex Dino. He had been the center of her life. "I don't know Athrun Zala."

"I'm not all that different from Alex Dino."

"Tell me about your family."

He eyed her curiously. "Why do you want to know?"

_Because you were once everything to me_. It was impossible to look at him and not see the younger man she'd fallen in love with. Long ago, she'd memorized the masculine but elegant planes of his face, watching him at night while he slept beside her, always on his back. She knew his hands, she knew his body. Intimately. In a dusty, cobwebbed corner of her heart, she wondered if it could happen again. Could lightning strike twice in the same place?

On a more practical level, she rationalized that she ought to take these moments together to find out about his real family, the Zala Family. She owed it to Nicol to find out if there were ay medical histories to watch out for.

She asked, "When you were growing up, did you have a male role model?"

"Yes I do have. A very good one, I must say."

"What did he do for a living?"

"Patrick Zala, a retired National Defense Tactician. He's quite strict so I got real good at sneaking around. Maybe that's why I went into undercover work," he grinned at the memory. "Despite that, he's cool. Once a month, he makes it a point we'd go camping or rock climbing or just go out as a family."

Cagalli was pleased with this heritage. Nicol had a tactician in his background. Yet, another strong reason he likes guns. "Your father sounds like a macho-good guy."

"He wasn't obnoxious about it, but he was definitely a guy." Athrun shrugged. "The only thing I hate about him was when he tried to force me on an engagement with Meer."

"Oh? What happened? Hey! Were you engaged with Meer when you were Alex Dino?" She asked, suddenly enraged.

"Of course not," Athrun said defensively. "My Mom talked my father out of it. And we were only 13 years-old then."

"That's a relief to know that you didn't sail in two rivers," she said looking pissed. "Anyway, how about you Mom? What was her job then?"

Athrun softly smiled, "Lenore Zala. She was an English Professor at Copernicus University in December Colony. She's a poetry-spouting woman."

Cagalli cheered inside, another pleasing career on Nicol's background. "Any brothers or sisters?"

"None, I'm only child. My dad's job was clandestine so they considered safety which will be harder for a bigger family."

_As if your job now is not clandestine, that's one of the reasons Nicol needs protection from you_. "At least you were spoiled enough."

She turned away from him and returned to the bed where she collapsed backward, lying flat. Relief flowed through her, washing away her inner tension. Nicol was taken care of. The Hibiki didn't know her location. For the moment, anyway, everybody was safe.

"Don't get too comfortable," he said. "We need to go out and buy you some clothes and a jacket."

"Now?" she groaned. "Can't it wait until tomorrow?"

He was silent for a moment. "I guess so. Tomorrow starts early. We're leaving here at two in the morning."

"Why?"

"We need to stop at Archangel Academy to pick up a couple of surveillance cameras I placed at your brother's funeral. Between two and three in the morning sounds like a safe time to break in."

She kept her eyes shut, not wanting to think about breaking and entering the academy. Or Kira's funeral. Or Athrun. She wasn't sure how to deal with the fact that he was still alive. Or that he was the father of her son.

Cagalli shuddered and sat up on the bed. "I ought to take a shower before I fall asleep."

He tossed a large shirt toward her. "You can use this for pajamas."

"And what will you wear?"

His eyes fastened on hers. "I think you remember how I prefer to sleep."

Nude! He slept in the nude! She most definitely didn't want to think about his long, muscular body stretched out on white cotton sheets. His chest, his lean torso.

Cagalli swallowed hard and lurched off the bed toward the small bathroom. She splashed water on her face and dragged Athrun's little black comb through her tangled hair. It was important to stay in here as long enough for him to get into bed, safely under covers. If he started parading around the motel room naked, she didn't know what she'd do.

She confronted her sparkling eyes in the bathroom mirror. Could she sleep with him? No way! She'd done that once before, and look what happened. She rubbed his toothpaste across her teeth and rinsed her dry mouth with water. Her heart was breathing too fast for someone who had no intention of making love tonight. Nor any other night. Not with him.

Cautiously, she peeked out from behind the bathroom door and saw him sitting at the circular table by the window, concentrating on the laptop he had opened for him. He looks studious, like a real son of a professor and a defense tactician.

Wearing his shirt – which hung about seven inches above her knees – she felt dangerously exposed. The short walked to her bed seemed like an impossible distance.

Cagalli straightened her shoulders. _Stop acting like a nervous little virgin! _A part from the kiss when they first met, he'd given no indication that he was even attracted to her anymore. They were older now. Their lives were different. He was a senior agent for Zaft. She was a sports mom.

"Are you going to get in bed?" he asked. "Or spend the night lurking behind that door?"

"Don't watch me," she said.

"Okay."

But when she emerged from the bathroom, he faced directly toward her. His eyes devoured her. His gaze felt palpable as a slow caress, touching every part of her body.

"You promised," she said.

"I lied."

"How am I supposed to trust you if - "

"You're a beautiful woman, I wouldn't be a man if I looked away." he interrupted. Then his voice turned playful but remindful, "Besides, that's a payback for trying to steal my car earlier."

Utterly self-conscious and embarrassed for what she did, she walked to the bed, yanked back the covers and slipped inside. The sheets cooled her skin. She was trembling from her scalp to toes. "Good night, Athrun."

"Good night, Cagalli."

He turned off the light at the table, and the room became as dark as a midnight fantasy.

* * *


	5. First Play

Same disclaimer applies from prologue. Not beta-read. I'm so drained. So sorry.

* * *

Chapter 4: First Play

* * *

At ten minutes past two in the morning, Athrun was wide awake – dressed and showered with his suitcases repacked. Though he wasn't being careful about keeping quiet, Cagalli hadn't stirred. Sleeping like a rock, she lay on her back with one arm thrown above her head on the pillow. The glow from the bedside lamp shone on the delicate flesh of her inner arm, so pale her skin seemed luminescent.

Athrun looked away from her. He didn't want to be attracted to Cagalli. She wasn't the perfect fantasy woman he once remembered; she was the mother of another man's child. Barely trusting Athrun, she'd tried to run from him, steal his car and leave him stranded in Nowhereville. She's living another identity as Yula Attha.

Driving her to L1 would take at least two days on back routes since interstate is quite dangerous. Two days in hell. He slammed down the lid on his suitcase of high-tech surveillance equipment and weaponry, and then glanced over at her sleeping figure. She still hadn't moved. Any normal human being would have been roused by his banging around in the motel room. Conclusion: She wasn't normal. Then again, she wouldn't be Cagalli Hibiki if she was normal.

Cagalli was a supernatural succubus determined to test his patience and remind him that dreams never came true. Why else would she be here? There had to be a reason; everything happened for a reason.

He went to her bedside and stood over her. Her blonde hair framed her face with careless wisps. Her lips parted slightly. Soft, kissable lips.

Though he'd intended to grab her shoulder and shake her awake, he couldn't bear to touch her. One touch would lead to another, and she'd murmur his name, and Athrun would be lost to the nascent desires that teased his senses.

"Cagalli." His voice was husky. He leaned over her.

An adorable frown ceased her forehead. "Is it morning already?"

He wanted to tell her that it was time – now was the moment when she would waken and see him for who he really was. Not a six-year-old memory, but a real man, matured and worthy of her trust. In spite of everything, he wanted her. "Cagalli."

"Wanna sleep more." But Cagalli felt herself swimming toward wakefulness. She took a gulp of air. Her eyelids lifted and she gazed up into a pair of warm, emerald eyes. He smiled down at her. A halo light surrounded his head.

"It's you," she said. She reached up, hoping this vision wouldn't vanish when she tried to touch him. The palm of her hand rested on his soft cheek, and she felt the solid bone beneath his skin. He smelled clean and wonderful. His blue hair was damp as if he'd just come from the shower to her bed; come to make love to her.

"Alex," she whispered. Her eyes drifted shut. She lifted her chin, waiting for his sweet, soft kisses.

"Wake up, Cagalli."

His voice turned harsh. Why was Alex angry with her?

Eyelids still closed, she felt him moving away, disappearing again into the dark void. And she remembered reality. Alex Dino was gone. Never to return.

She sat up on bed and looked around the homely motel room with scratched furniture and bland beige walls. Athrun Zala stood at the edge of the window, peering through the space where the drapes met the wall. His back turned toward her as if he couldn't stand the sight of her.

Fine! She felt the same way about him. Cagalli could never be as close to Athrun as she'd been to Alex, the man she'd loved with the wholehearted abandon of youth. They were older now; their live had taken on all manner of complications.

"The shower is free," he said gruffly. "We need to get moving."

She glanced at the bedside clock. "It's two-twenty."

"I know."

She threw off the covers and stalked to the bathroom with none of the coy of reticence she'd felt last night when intimacy tinted the air like a magical pink cloud. A new day set a new focus. There were tasks to be done. The sooner they got on the road, the sooner she'd be back in Orb with Nicol. "I'll be ready in fifteen minutes."

Quickly in and out of the shower, she found a gray sweatsuit from a hook on the bathroom door. In the nighttime chill, these sweats would be more practical than her skirt and sweater. She put on the huge clothing and rubbed a hole in the steamed-up mirror to look at herself. What a joke! In the over-large sweats, she looked absolutely absurd.

Stepping out of the bathroom, she allowed the long arms of the sweatshirt to droop over her hands and waved at Athrun. "Look at me. I'm one of the Seven Dwarfs."

In spite of his cranky mood, he grinned. "Dopey?"

"Baggy," she said. "That was the dwarf with no fashion sense."

"Ready?" He'd already packed his two suitcase but left them on the bed as he put on his jacket over his shoulder holster. He nodded toward the door. "I've already warmed up the car."

"Aren't you going to take your bags?"

He shook his head and tossed her a lightweight parka. "Let's go."

Settled into the passenger seat, cozy and warm in his parka and sweatsuite, she felt an illogical but pleasant rush of excitement. They were starting out on a road trip, an adventure.

The headlights of their rental car cut through the silent, dark night. Few other cars were on the road, and it seemed they had the whole world to themselves.

In spite of the ever-present danger and the million and one reasons to be worried, she felt hopeful. "So, Athrun. Why did you leave your stuff in the motel room?"

"It's our base of operations," he said. "I have a lot of sensitive equipment in those cases, and I don't want to risk losing it. Something might happen to this vehicle."

"Like what?"

"You never know." He shrugged. "It's best to leave all options open. Always look for a second escape route. Besides, we have to come back in this direction to catch the road we're going to take south. Then we'll cut across to L2."

He must have been busy last night. "Did you map our route on the computer?"

"Yeah," he said. "And I had contact with the agent at the safe house. Don't worry, I had once worked with that agent, agent Elsman. Your son sounds like he's doing fine. He was kicking butt on the PlayStation games."

"The agent in Orb called last night? I wish you'd awakened me."

"I tried," he said. "I can't believe how heavy you sleep. Like a ton of granite."

"It's a talent," she said.

"If you ask me, it's a little weird."

"PlayStation," she said. Cagalli wasn't fond of the digitized entertainment his son enjoyed. "I hope that agent isn't letting Nicol play those violent animated games with the big-breasted women in tight leather."

"A Zaft agent would never ever play with sexy cartoon babes." Athrun's voice was loaded with sarcasm and playfulness. "Though I have to think twice about agent Elsman."

He pulled into the parking lot of an all-night convenience store. "Do you still take your coffee black?"

"Absolutely."

He went inside and returned with two extra large coffees and a box of prepackage powdered donuts that usually would've disgusted her. But Cagalli was starving. She munched aggressively, disregarding the cardboard taste of the food and the watered-down flavor of the coffee.

"I have more information," Athrun said. "I put a trace on the license plates of the two cars that came after us yesterday. The vehicles are registered to Yolant Kent and Vino Dupre."

"Yolant Kent." She grinned, remembering a much younger man, kind of clumsy and very shy. "He played football with my cousin, Rey Za Burrel."

"I thought his name sounded familiar," Athrun said as he started the car and returned to the road. "What about the other guy?"

"Don't know him." these two – Yolant Kent and Vino Dupre – were obviously aligned with the bad guys who had been responsible for Kira's death. "Do you think we should let my grandfather know that these men are not to be trusted?"

"That's a negative." He scowled at her. "Why should you think we should contact Ulen about anything?"

"These guys tried to kill us. They're dangerous." No matter how she felt about her grandfather, she didn't want him to be assassinated. "They might go after him."

"Doubtful. If they meant to kill Ulen, they would've done it long ago. Besides, if we tell your grandfather, he'll demand revenge." Athrun pointed out. "We don't want to be the ones who light the fuse."

"What fuse?"

"For a war inside the Hibiki family."

"Right." For a moment, she'd forgotten that practically everyone within the Hibiki circle had reason to mistrust everyone else. Her father once told her that the family that hates each other stays together, always watchful, taking care not to offend. How could she have forgotten the insane family code that dictated harsh vengeance no matter what the consequences?"

Cagalli took another bite of her donut. She'd been thinking of the Hibiki as if they were normal. Obviously, she'd been away too long.

She was still nursing her extra large coffee when she recognized the streets leading to Archangel Academy. "What's our plan?"

"You stay right here in the car with the doors locked and drink your coffee."

"I have no problem with that assignment. It looks cold outside." She asked, "And what will you be doing?"

He explained, "I placed two mini-cameras inside the Church. Ms. Murrue said she'd try to remove them and would leave them in a prearranged spot. If everything goes right, I'll walk to the pickup point, grab the cameras, return to the car and we'll be on our way."

"Great," she said. "But I do have a request. My own rental car is nearby, parked on Elm Street three blocks from the church. Could we swing past and pick-up my suitcase from the trunk?"

"I'll try to grab your luggage," he said. "Do you have the key?"

Cagalli reached down her collar and fished around inside. Her fingers touched the business card given to her by Lacus before she grabbed the single car key. "Here it is. I'll really appreciate if you do this, Athrun. I want to get my purse. And my cell phone. And my own clothes."

"But you look so cute in sweatsuit."

"Baggy the dwarf," she said. "Not a look I'd like to go public with."

He cruised to a silent stop five blocks away from Archangel Academy. Before he opened the car door, he cautioned her again. "Stay in the car."

"Good luck, Athrun."

She watched him disappear into the night, moving with great stealth through the shadows between streetlights in this calm, suburban neighborhood. Once she heard a dog barking. Otherwise, there was no indication of Athrun's presence.

His skill at undercover work impressed her. He was constantly planning ahead, mapping alternate escape routes and staying in focus as he went after the bad guys.

Somehow, she'd known from the first time they met that he was one of the good guys. Not a Zaft, of course. She hadn't suspected his secret identity. But he hadn't been a mindless thug or, worse, a sadistic hit man. When he posed as Alex Dino, he was different from the other men who worked for her grandfather – more mindful, more inclined to talk through a problem than to shoot it.

She wondered if he'd sensed the same thing about her. Perhaps, his initial attraction to her had been the drawing together of two kindred spirits, both of them seeking to so the right thing in an atmosphere where criminal activity was part of daily business. She hoped so. It was nice to believe that there had been something more to their youthful affair than mere lust… not that there was anything wrong with the lust.

She sighed, sipped her coffee and checked her wristwatch. How long had he been gone? Seven minutes. Sitting here alone, the time passed slowly. If she'd still had the key to her rental car, she would've trotted over there herself to fetch her luggage.

A sharp rap at the passenger side window startled her. She turned and saw a man holding a Zaft badge in one hand and a gun in the other. In the light of the streetlamp, she noticed that he had raven hair. Was this Shinn Asuka? The man who had murdered Kira?

"Open up," he said. "Athrun sent me."

She didn't believe him. Intuitively, she knew this Zaft was not to be trusted. Damn it! She wished Athrun had left her a gun.

* * *

Gliding through the night, silent as a breeze, Athrun neared the courtyard that stretched between the church and the school. Thus far, his progress had been unimpeded.

If he'd worn the night-vision glasses that gave a clear scope into every shadow, his approach might have been easier. But he didn't like to rely too much on technology that dulled the instincts necessary for undercover work. At heart, Athrun was an old-fashioned spy even though he's good with computers. Damn good he can leave the undercover work for it.

He stepped silently onto the flagstones of the courtyard. At the edge of a recessed grotto on the north end, he recognized a small statue on a pedestal. He reached behind the pedestal.

The two cameras were there. Ms. Murrue hadn't let him down. Athrun sent a silent thank you to the woman.

With the cameras stashed in his pocket, he eased to the edge of the courtyard. Then he spotted the sentry, strolling the distance between church and school.

Athrun hid in a shadow, peering through the dark, trying to make out the features on this guy who wore a black jacket and trousers. He was on patrol and had the air of a man doing his duty, keeping watch. His attitude and clothes told Athrun this guy wasn't one of the Hibiki. The sentry was a Zaft, possibly a former student at December City who hadn't paid attention when Athrun advised that a stakeout never included marching back and forth.

Easily, Athrun slipped past him. A rising sense of apprehension hastened his retreat toward the car where Cagalli was waiting. The Zaft always worked in teams. If there was one Zaft, there had to be another.

* * *

Staring through the car window down the barrel of a gun, Cagalli decided to better her chance for escape by getting out of the car. If this guy meant to kill her, she was a sitting duck inside the car. On the street, she might be able to sweet-talk him and then to flee. At least she'd have mobility.

He moved back as she pushed open the car door. Flashing a supposedly friendly smile, she said. "You said that Athrun sent you. Is he okay?"

"He's fine." The agent didn't lower his gun. "You're Yula Attha, right?"

"Yes, I am." Though her stomach flip-flopped with the familiar tension that came whenever she was stopped by a cop, Cagalli put on a straight-forward manner of an upright citizen with nothing to hide. Her internal agenda was very different. She wanted to learn if her first suspicion was correct. Was this raven-haired man Shinn Asuka? "And who are you? Do you mind if I take another tiny peek at your credentials?"

"Not necessary," he said. "Ma'am, I'm concerned about your son in Orb."

So was she. Cagalli wished that Athrun had forced her to wake up when the agent called from the safe house. She would've felt much better if she'd spoken directly to Nicol and heard, in his own words, that he was kicking butt with the PlayStation games. "What about my son?"

"I'll need the name and address of the people he's staying with. So he can be protected."

"Certainly." But Athrun had already taken care of Nicol's safety. If this Zaft was really working with Athrun, he ought to be aware of the arrangements.

"Come with me, Miss. We need to insure your son's safety."

"Of course." He was lying. She could feel his deception like an icy fist grabbing her heart. Looking up at him, she wished he'd moved into the light from the streetlamp so she cold clearly view his face. "Are you Shinn Asuka?"

"My name isn't important."

"You really don't need your gun." She took a few steps back. "Holster your weapon, and I'll talk to you."

"Not a chance. Not while your little friend, Athrun, is still at large."

"I thought you were working _with_ Athrun."

"Might as well be," he said. "I've studied all his operations. I know exactly how he thinks."

"Is that how you got interested in my family?"

"Could be."

Under the streetlight, she stared into the agent's bland face. She saw the glimmer of pure evil in his red eyes. "You're Shinn Asuka."

"That's right."

His lip coiled in a sneer, and she knew the truth. Unadulterated hatred flooded through her. "You killed my brother."

With no thought for her own safety, Cagalli sprang at him. Fingernails unsheathed, she aimed for his eyes. This bastard shot her twin brother. He deserved to die.

He dropped the gun to grapple with her. She scratched his face before he caught her hands. He was strong. He could overpower her easily, but she didn't care. She fought him with the fury of pent-up hatred – the vengeful fury of a true Hibiki. With all her strength, she pummeled his chest. Her legs lashed out with hard kicks. Still, he held her tightly.

She heard a thud. His arms lost all strength. Shinn Asuka crumpled to the hard pavement of the suburban street where dogs had begun to bark.

As Shinn fell, she saw Athrun, gun in hand. He must have knocked Shinn unconscious wasn't enough. She wanted her brother's killer to be dead.

On hands and knees, Cagalli scrambled on the pavement searching for Shinn's gun. Here! Her hands locked on the handle. Her finger crooked around the trigger. Rising to her knees above him, she aimed into the despised face of a murderer.

"No!" Athrun stepped in front of her, blocking her shot. "Cagalli, don't."

"Step aside," she said. "He's going to die."

"Hibiki justice?" He caught hold of her wrists and pointed the barrel of the gun downward. "If you shoot Shinn, you're no better than -"

"I don't care," she said. "He killed Kira."

"But he's still a Zaft agent. You'd be charged with his murder. You'd go to prison. Then what would happen to your son?"

"Oh, yes, you're right." She couldn't commit murder. What was she doing? What had she been thinking? Gasping, Cagalli released her grip on the gun.

"It's okay." Athrun took the weapon, flipped the safety and tucked it into his belt before he handcuffed Shinn on the sidewalk. If he'd had more time, he would've searched through Shinn's pockets for his walkie-talkie and other usual stuff, but the neighborhood was beginning to wake up. Dogs howled ceaselessly. A couple of porch lights had come on. In a few minutes, the good people of L3 suburb would be calling the police hotline.

He grabbed Cagalli's hand and pulled her to her feet. "Let's go. We're taking your rental car."

"I can't believe I almost killed him."

There would be plenty of time for recriminations later. "But you didn't. That's what counts."

She raised tortured eyes to his face. "I should turn myself in before - "

"Later."

He yanked her into motion. She had no choice but to come along, stumbling behind him in her baggy sweatsuit and over-large jacket. Not a subtle escape. Not a classic textbook maneuver.

Two streets to the north was the lot. The ruckus hadn't quite spread this far. Four cars were parked along the street. "Which one is yous?"

She pointed. "The little one."

An economy special. Not much power. He hoped they wouldn't be caught in a high-speed chase.

Athrun got behind the steering wheel and unlocked her door. His heart was pounding. He wanted to take off like a rocket but forced himself to drive carefully. The last thing he needed was to be pulled over for speeding. When he turned into a main road, he checked in the rearview mirror. No other car was behind him. So far, so good.

"Athrun, do you think I'm a flawed person? Genetically?"

"Because your name is Hibiki?" he shook his head. "I don't believe that stuff. Everybody has choices."

"But I was out of control." Her voice trembled. "I really meant to kill Shinn."

He checked the rearview mirror again. There were headlights behind them. A tail? He couldn't take the chance of slowing down to see if the car would pass. The odds were against him. Shinn had been clever enough to post a guard at the church and to patrol the outer perimeter himself. Likely, he had other agents on the area.

Dead ahead was a set of railroad tracks which meant an access road, usually deserted at night. No trains in sight.

In the passenger seat beside him, Cagalli had buried her face in her hands. She didn't seem to be weeping, but he couldn't really tell. He bounced over the tracks and swerved onto the two lane road running parallel to the tracks.

The headlights in his rearview mirror followed. Definitely a tail.

Athrun wished for a train. Some kind of distraction. An opportunity for escape. "Come on, train," he murmured.

This area was industrial, dotted with several warehouse facilities. At this hour, the only inhabitants were night watchmen. Athrun increased his driving speed. The headlights in his mirror kept pace.

They were headed west. A good diversion. His pursuers would assume he was trying to hook in Interstate 80, the most direct route to L4. Unfortunately, that fact that he was being followed also meant they had the make of the rental car and his license plate so they could put out a lookout with the highway patrol.

Athrun heard a train whistle – a lonely cry in the night. Driving parallel to the tracks, he passed an intersection where the black-and-white stripped guard post descended and warning lights flashed. It was almost time to make his move.

A few blocks away, he saw the headlight on the train's engine. If Athrun darted across the tracks just as the train approached, he could lose the tail. Timing was everything. He had to turn now. Right now!

At the intersection, he made a controlled swerve, avoided the black-and-white barrier and bumped onto the tracks. The locomotive bore down upon them. Tons of steel charged at them. Unstoppable.

As the economy rental car lurched forward, inches from disaster, he heard Cagalli screamed. He dodged the barrier on the opposite side.

They were safe. The car following them was stuck on the other side of the tracks, waiting for the long freight to pass.

At the first main road, Athrun headed east toward their motel. He glanced toward Cagalli. "Are you okay?"

Her eyes were huge. "The next time you try to kill us, warn me. I deserve at least a minute to let my life flash before my eyes."

"I was losing a tail," he explained. "If I'd warned you, there would have been another minute to be scared."

"Oh, yeah. Total shocker is better."

"Here's the new plan," he said. "We'll stop at the motel, pick up my suitcases and then we're on our way. While it's still dark, I ought to steal some new license plates."

He could feel her disapproval. Coldly, she said, "The distinction between the criminals and the Zaft is real thin. Like soldiers on opposite sides in a war."

"Not exactly. My side is fighting to protect the innocent and defend their rights. And, generally, the Zaft don't make as much money as the bad guys."

"Except for Shinn Asuka," she said darkly. "He was trying to find Nicol. Is there anyway he'd know about the safe house in Orb? Who assigned agent Elsman to be Nicol's protector?"

"None at all," Athrun said. "The main agent taking care of everything up to your son is a personal contact. He's not acting for the Forces."

"And who is he acting for?"

"A friend."

Athrun glanced in his rearview mirror. The road behind them was empty. For now.

* * *

I always wanted Cagalli to do that to Shinn in the series )

* * *


	6. Intersection

Same disclaimer applies from prologue. _**Not beta-read**_. I'm so drained. So sorry.

Important NOTE: as I was rereading the past chapters of this story, I found a constant error in my typing. On the prologue, I stated there that Cagalli's name here is "Cagalli Yamato." But starting Chapter 1, I seemed to type "Cagalli Hibiki" instead of Yamato. I'm so sorry about it. But to let you know, the _**official name of Cagalli here is "Cagalli Hibiki Yamato" , "Hibiki" is Cagalli's maiden name and "Yula Attha" is her alias here.**_. Ok? I hope it's clear now. Please bear with me for future mistakes I will make. Thanks!

* * *

Chapter 5: Intersection

* * *

Shinn Asuka sat alone at a square table in Cero Café. Facing the door, he nursed a cup of bitter coffee and a throbbing ache in the back of his skull from stitches and a slight concussion. The doctor had ordered a couple of day's bedrest, but Shinn didn't listen. The more serious injury was to his pride, and the only way to heal that wound was to apprehend Athrun Zala and Cagalli Yamato. That little witch! Shinn touched a scratch on his cheek. It was her fault he'd been distracted. It was her fault Athrun got the drop on him.

This incident shout _not_ have happened. Shinn had done everything right, had analyzed the situation correctly. He'd known – beyond a doubt's shadow – that Athrun would arrange surveillance at Archangel Academy during Kira's funeral. Since Athrun couldn't show up in person, he had to set cameras.

After the service, Shinn and two other Zaft agents had swept the sanctuary and found nothing. But he knew, from years of studying Athrun's methods of operation, that the cameras had been there and Athrun would be back to collect them.

And Sinn was right; he'd made the smart call. That was important to him. in his gut, he knew he was better than Athrun. Smarter.

When Shinn saw Vino Dupre and Yolant Kent lumber into the diner, he was disappointed. The ache in his head intensified. He'd expected to talk with the higher-ups. Damn it, he deserved their attention. The people who would ultimately run the Hibiki Family business ought to be here, showing respect for the risks he'd taken and acknowledging his clever strategy in setting a trap at the academy.

The two thugs pulled out chairs and sat at the small Formica-table, surrounding Shinn.

Vino did the talking. "You let them get pass away."

"So did you," Shinn pointed out. "At the motel."

"I got chewed out good for that." His angry face showed.

"You've got to admit," Shinn said, "I was right in thinking they'd come back to the Academy."

"But you let them get away," Vino repeated.

_That's right, you big moron! Rub it in!_ Shinn reached for his coffee. Anger sent tremors through his fingers. His hand shook too much to lift the mug to his mouth. Fighting to maintain control, he reported, "I've ordered surveillance on the airport, trains and buses. According to our intelligence, they haven't left the area."

"Unless they're driving." Vino leaned toward him, resting his weight on his elbows and causing the table to tilt. He repeated. "They could be driving to somewhere where they could get a shuttle under surveillance."

"I don't think they'll leave," Shinn said. Athrun was known for being relentless. It would take a lot to pull him off the case. "He'll stay here and investigate."

"Maybe." Vino shrugged. "And maybe not. We think they're on the run. Cagalli wants to get back to Orb."

"With all due respect, it's not her decision." Cagalli Yamato wasn't calling the shots. Athrun was in charge. He'd make the decisions. "Athrun is the one we have to watch."

"He'll do what she says," Vino predicted.

Like hell he would. Athrun Zala was the original loner. He didn't rely on anybody else's judgment, least of all the ideas of an untrained female who wasn't even part of the intelligence community. "Why?" he demanded. "Why do you think he'd let her boss him around?"

"The kid in Orb," Vino lowered his voice to a whisper. "Nicol Alexandre Attha is Atrhun Zala's son."

"Damn!" Shinn's head throbbed. In light of this information, he had to adjust his thinking. It was probable that Athrun would head for Orb to care for his son personally. He was probably on the road right now to get a shuttle. But where?

"The only way they'd stick around here," Vino said, "is if they look to Ulen for help."

"Athrun won't." Shinn was sure of that. "His ego is too big."

Protecting his child, Athrun would be more determined than ever before, more emotionally involved. And that made him more dangerous.

Shinn needed to stop Athrun, to keep him from messing up his lucrative connection with the Hibiki crime family. Before now, it had seemed enough to discredit Athrun and oust him from Zaft protection based on forensic evidence with the murder weapon in Aprilius and the combined eyewitness reports of Shinn and Sai Argyle.

Now the strategy had to change. Athrun had to be apprehended. Then killed. To do otherwise was inviting disaster.

Death was the strategy. Shinn smiled. He liked when things were settled and final. The tremors in his fingers stilled, and he raised the coffee mug to his lips. Athrun's demise would be his ticket to success.

* * *

Cruising on Route One, Cagalli completed a cell phone conversation with Nicol who, indeed, sounded like he was having a great fun at the safe house. Though she couldn't stop worrying about her son, she felt somewhat relieved. "Nicol is doing well."

"Good." Athrun drove steadily on the quiet back route. "I didn't think he'd be scared."

"Not a bit," she said. "Tell me about this safe house. Nicol said they were in the hills."

"I've never been there."

"But you're sure it's safe?"

"Yes." He said.

Cagalli hiked up the sleeve of the over-large sweatsuit and checked her wristwatch. It was nearly eleven o'clock, and her stomach was growling. After they turned west, Athrun had promised they could stop for lunch. She folded her arms below her breasts, holding her hunger.

Her thoughts turned – as they had a hundred times before – to her homicidal rage on the streets near Archangel's. She had fully intended to kill Shinn. If Athrun hadn't stopped her, she would have pulled the trigger. For revenge. Her motivation and her behavior were pure Hibiki. How could she even think of murdering another human being? She was a mother, a decent person. For the last bake sale at Nicol's school, she'd made a dozen of hundred cupcakes. Did that sound like the work of a psycho killer? Uncomfortable with her thoughts, she fidgeted nervously.

By contrast, Athrun was utterly calm. When he talked about what had happened at the Academy, he was logical. The fact that Shinn had dragged in a surveillance team and a chase team worried Athrun. It seemed that the Zaft was taking the job of apprehending him very seriously.

Holding back her hunger, she said. "Tell me about the people who are in our side."

"There are a couple of guys I've worked with who I can trust. Personal friends. But I really can't contact them. It's too obvious that I would. They'll be watched."

His reasoning was a bit convoluted, but she understood. "How did you arrange for the safe house?"

"A long time friend," he said. "He's moody, finicky but smart, tough and honest. If I'm with the military, I'd call him my general."

"And he runs a secret network of good guys?"

"Nothing so formal," Athrun said. "Let's just say that whenever he contacts me and asks for a favor, I do what he says without question. And there are other people like me, willing to help no matter what."

"Is he in Orb too?"

"Frankly, Cagalli, I don't want to give you his location."

"Why not?" their conversations seemed to constantly see-saw back and forth between truth and deception, suspicion and trust, past and present. "I'm not going to attack him or anything."

"This isn't about you," he said. "It's about intelligence work. We might get separated. You might be picked up. In that case, the less you know, the better."

She didn't like the way he tossed out these cryptic comments._ The less you know, the better_. What did that mean? Sarcastically, she said, "Are we talking about some kind of interrogation? Truth serum? Beatings with rubber hoses? Broken kneecaps?"

"You know your family better than I do," he said.

"My family would never hurt me."

"I seem to recall a couple of guys coming after us at the motel. I doubt they were firing blanks."

She frowned. It was hard to imagine Vino Dupre purposely harming her. "We got away, didn't we?"

"If they'd caught us," Athrun said, "I wouldn't expect you to hold back information, especially not if they threatened your son."

Though he didn't come right out, accuse her of being unreliable, he didn't completely trust her, either. And why should he? Yesterday, she tried to hot-wire his car and escape. At the academy, she'd come within a hairbreadth of shooting a man in cold blood. These were definitely not the actions of a dependable, intelligent person. "What made you decide to help me?"

"It's the right thing to do," he said.

"But you don't think of me the same way you think of your friend. You don't have that same kind of unquestioning loyalty."

"It's not the same," he said. "But I have feelings for you."

"Really?" She felt inordinately pleased. "What kind of feelings?"

"Responsibility. I want to protect you." He hesitated, considering. "And there's guilt. Six years ago, I should have been smarter. I should have found you."

"If you had found me, what would have happened?"

"I don't want to live in the past, Cagalli. There's no point in nursing a regret or worrying about what might have been."

But she didn't want to let go of these thoughts. "Back then, you were in love with me."

"That was then."

And what about now? Could he, possibly, be a little bit attracted to her? Cagalli contemplated this thought, rolled it around in her mind and decided she wouldn't mind if he had a personal affinity for her – a special, sensual yearning born six years ago and awakened by seeing her again. Would that be so very impossible? She couldn't deny that when she looked at him, she felt a stirring deep inside – far more powerful than a superficial appreciation for a handsome man. She turned her head and studied him. what would it be like to make love to him now?

She noticed his hands, gripping the steering wheel. Through his fingers were long and sensitive like an artist or a concert pianist, these were definitely the hands of a man accustomed to rough work. There were scars and few ridges. He had strong hands, capable hands. She imagined his touch on her body, skillfully arousing her.

When he was younger, their lovemaking was driven and wildly passionate. And now? She wondered if he would be more deliberate, paying more attention to detail. His caresses would slowly, gradually awaken her desires, delicately peeling back her inhibitions like petals on a rosebud.

As he drove, concentrating on the road, she stared at his face in profile. High cheekbones, straight nose, strong jaw line. His bone structure was perfect. She focused on the straight line of his mouth. What would it be like to trace his lips with the tip of her tongue?

When he looked toward her, she peered into his eyes. In their emerald depths, she saw an exquisite, world-weary sadness.

"Hungry?" he asked.

Cagalli was starved for his attention but couldn't tell him about those desires. He might reject her. He might abandon her. Again.

She had to be vigilant, to guard against his new emotional danger. She pulled her gaze away from his before her eyes revealed too much. Back to reality, she acknowledges that she was also hungry for food. All this sexual fantasizing was probably the result of low blood sugar. "I could eat."

"Me, too."

"How long until we get to L1?" she asked.

"You sound like a kid." He grinned. "How many more miles? Are we there yet?"

"I'm not whining. I just want to know the plan. I know you have one. You have a plan and a contingency for everything."

"I figure we'll make it to the edge of L3 and L2 area today. I'd like to stop somewhere near there and find a new vehicle."

"Anther rental car?" she asked.

"Could be a problem," he said. Athrun had used his undercover identity driver's license and credit card to rent the vehicle that was now at the custody of Shinn Asuka. "I'm sure the forces will be keeping track of car rentals, and I don't have another ID."

"I do," she said. "I keep another identity current just in case. It's Erica Simmons."

"As in Erica Simmons, the mother of military force and of women's suffrage?"

"The first real-live female on the dollar coin," she said. "I consider her a role model."

"For her military? Or stand on women's right? Or because she was on the dollar?"

"All of them," Cagalli said.

Though her attitude seemed breezy and offhand, Athrun understood the abiding fear that caused her to maintain alternate identities. Cagalli Yamato, alias Yula Attha, alias Erica Simmons. She'd been undercover for six years - a long assignment.

At the intersection with Route 36, he turned right, heading west. "When this is over, what do you plan to do?"

She leaned back forward to peer through the windshield. "Maybe I'll pick up and start over as Erica Simmons, even though I hate to do that to Nicol. He likes this school and his friends. It'll be a hard time for him to understand why we're moving."

"And why you're using a different name," Athrun said. "How much does your son know about the Hibikis?"

"Not much," she said. "I've told him, truthfully, that my mother and father are both deceased. I've mentioned his great-grandparents and others – aunts, uncles, and cousins."

"Did you tell your son that Kira was his uncle?"

"No."

Though she didn't indulge in self-pity, Athrun sensed her loneliness. Breaking free from her family had cast her adrift. "This has been hard for you."

"I'm okay." She sat up straighter in the seat beside him. "Anyway, I'll use my Erica Simmons driver's license and credit card to rent a car. I kind of hate to do it. I might need the undercover identity later."

"We can find another way," Athrun said. Though he could probably go through his friend to find a safe contact, he didn't want to spread knowledge of his whereabouts unless it was absolutely necessary. They'd be better off buying another car with cash from a private party.

Actually, Athrun knew an agent in L2 who might help. His name was Arthur Trine and he'd been at December City for a while, teaching computer hacking and intelligence. It was a risk to contact him, but –

"I've got an idea." She flung her hands wide then clapped them together. Athrun remembered her grandfather, Ulen Hibiki, using the same emphatic gesture. No matter how much Cagalli avoided her heritage, there were unmistakable family traits. "I know people near the edge of L2."

He didn't like the sound of this. "Who?"

"People," she said. "And if I remember correctly, one of them sells used cars. It's perfect!"

Suspiciously, he asked, "Family?"

"Relatives on my father's side. But don't worry. They hate the Hibikis. Since before I was born, there's been bad blood."

"Cagalli, I don't think it's smart to jump into the middle of a family vendetta."

"Not a problem. My cousin Aisha and her family don't kill people. I haven't seen them for years, not since I was a senior high school and I trooped in L2 on my way to check out Liteiria Conservatory for college. I almost went there, you know."

"What changed your mind?"

"I got interested in this guy in L3." Her voice softened with nostalgia. "He worked for my grandfather which was a big strike against him. I swore I'd never get involved with a guy like Alex Dino. But there was something about you."

"Wait a minute," Athrun said. "Are you saying that you came after me?"

"Like a homing pigeon to the roost. Like an arrow to the bull's eye."

He couldn't believe it! "You? Came after me?"

"Didn't you think it was strange that I was always hanging around where you were?"

"I thought it was coincidence."

"You know better than that," she chided. "There are no coincidences."

"Everything happens for a reason," he completed the phrase that summed up his philosophy of life. But why? What was the ultimate reason for their youthful love affair? "Amazing. You initiated our relationship."

"You betcha," she said.

He truly hadn't noticed her wiles. And he couldn't blame his blindness on naïveté. He'd been a nineteen-year-old, a Zaft force agent. Not an infant in the woods. As he thought back, a series of mental pictures flashed through his mind. A beautiful young woman sunbathing in the patio outside her grandfather's study, washing the car when he pulled into the driveway, waitressing at his table in a family restaurant. He remembered her sweet perfume, her flashing eyes, and the cascading charming of her laughter. "You seduced me."

"Well, duh!"

"I can't believe it. Before I asked you out, I was in a moral dilemma, thinking about my job. And you were stalking me."

"You were definitely hot," she said. "Not that I made a regular practice of stalking."

"Why me?"

"Because." She slightly touched her arm. "I thought you were the one for me. The only one."

"I felt the same way."

An uncomfortable silence settled between them as the past and present intersected. If everything happened for a reason, why were they together right now? Athrun knew she was leading him somewhere. Deeper into danger, most likely.

Through the windshield, he watched the old fashioned place.

"I wonder," Cagalli said, "If I could come here and live here."

He almost laughed out loud. Even in a baggy sweatsuit, she was too sophisticated. Her attitude was pure city girl. "I thought you were a totally modern mom."

"And a great cook. Don't forget that talent. I could use my cooking skills to fit in with this people," she said. "This would be an excellent environment for raising kids. They'd be safe."

Though he understood her longing for stability, the old fashionway wasn't for her. Or her son. "Nicol is a PlayStation wizard. He'd be bored here."

"True. He'd never settle for here."

Athrun exited Route 36 and drove into a small town. Outside a restaurant, he parked. "Lunch," he said.

"I don't think they'll offer a vegetarian nouvelle cuisine menu, so I want some kind of chicken." She was already opening her door. "I need my suitcase from the trunk. It's definitely time to change clothes."

He entered the restaurant and found a seat and ordered chicken dinners for both of them while Cagalli retired to the bathroom.

Today, he had no fears about her trying to flee from him. Like it or not, they were together until they reached Orb and located her son. He'd arranged for some sort of protective custody. Then, they could say goodbye again. Athrun would return to his regular life, free from the fantasy of rediscovering the magic of his undying youthful love for the former Cagalli Yamato.

When she sat down at the table, he hardly recognized her. She managed to look stylish in skinny jeans with a form-hugging claret baby-doll shirt under a tweed jacket. "Very nice."

"I know." She wasn't bragging, merely stating the facts. She knew how to put herself together. "Did you order?"

"Chicken," he said, still admiring the way she looked. He was seeing the real Cagalli Yamato, single mother and a capable human being. And Athrun was drawn to her in a slightly different way than in his dreams.

She took her cell phone from her purse. "I have another idea. What if I call Lacus on her private cell phone?"

"Bad idea," he said.

"Hear me out, Athrun. I could drop a few hints that would make her think we took the other route to L4."

He nodded, considering. A little misdirection might be useful. "What reason would you give for calling her?"

"A thank-you for letting me used her car?"

"The brand-new black Corvette with the temporary tags." He reached into his pocket and handed her his secured cell phone. "Keep it short. Don't say too much."

"If were taking the north route, where would be right now?"

"Edge of L4," he said.

"Okay." Cagalli grinned as she accepted his cell phone, glad to be doing something useful instead of sitting in the passenger seat watching the scenery. "I'll be careful."

Cagalli dialed the phone number on Lacus's business card. When her cousin answered, she identified herself as Cagalli.

"Are you all right?" Lacus asked.

"I've been better," she said. "Listen, I wanted to thank you for helping me escape. It means a lot that someone in the family understands how I feel."

"You ran off with Alex Dino," Lacus said. "I understand. You love him."

"No," Cagalli said. She looked across the table at Athrun who watched her intently. "I mean, I don't know."

"Love makes women do foolish things." Lacus's sigh was audible. "I'm sorry, Cagalli. You have to let him go. It's not safe for you to be with him. Come back home."

As if it was much safer to be in the clutches of the Hibiki? "I don't think so."

"Tell me where you are. I'll come and get you. Personally."

That sounded like a threat. Cagalli felt a pinprick of anger toward her cousin who had set her up. "The same way Vino Dupre came to get me? With a gun?"

"I would never hurt you. If I did, Kira would come down from heaven and haunt me. Oh god, I miss him." there seemed to be a thread of real emotion in her voice. Lacus cleared her throat and demanded. "Where are you?"

"We're on the road. I can't really tell. Some place near the edge of L4?"

"You stay there," Lacus said. "I'll come and - "

"Got to go," Cagalli said. "Alex is coming back."

She disconnected the call and beamed across the table at Athrun. "That was fun."

"What did she say?"

No way would Cagalli tell him about the foolishness of women in love. "She wants me to be safely brought into the family fold."

"Do you still think she's the one running the family?"

Cagalli wasn't sure as earlier. There seemed to have a ring of sincerity in Lacus's voice, especially when she spoke of Kira. "It's hard to say."

"Because she'd family," Athrun said. "It's natural for you to believe in them. Go ahead and call your cousin in L2. We'll get a different car from her."

Cagalli felt a rush of pleasure as she looked up Aisha Waltfeld's phone number. She was on her way to visit her family. It felt like a homecoming.

* * *


	7. Stopover

Same disclaimer applies from prologue. _**Not beta-read**_. I'm so drained. So sorry.

* * *

Chapter 6: Stopover

* * *

Cagalli was related to the Waltfeld's of L2 through her cousin Aisha, whose mother is Haruma's sister who came to live with them after Aisha's parents divorced. 

When Athrun pulled up to the curb outside the two-story, Tudor-style house with shake shingles and peaked gables, Cagalli's heart lifted. After her grotesque face-off with the Hibiki, this visit had to be better. What could be worse than escaping her family through a bathroom window, being tracked down and shot by a thug? If it wasn't so absurd, Cagalli would've wept.

Looking out the passenger window, she sighed. "This place hasn't change a bit."

"Let's go over the plan again," Athrun said. "We go in, get the new car and leave. Polite but quick."

"We have to stay for a bite." She opened the passenger side door and stepped onto the clean-swept sidewalk. "Aisha makes the most unbelievable, melt-in-you-mouth Kebab if and only if it's without Andy's yogurt sauce. And Andy's coffee is a must have."

"One bite." Athrun circled the car and stood beside her. "Then we're gone."

"We should've bought something. It isn't right to come here empty-handed."

"Cagalli, this isn't a social call."

"I know." But, just for a moment, she wanted to pretend that she was returning to the glowing family hearth where she would be beloved – embraced without question or demand. Not that her family life had ever been ideal. Of course, there were occasional moments, a few happy memories. Thanksgiving dinners. Dancing with her grandfather at Lacus and Heine's wedding. Her sixth birthday party when her mother rented a pony. Cagalli remembered coming home from school and finding her mother waiting with fresh baked ziti and a hug.

"Are you all right?" Athrun asked.

"I'm fine." She pulled herself together as they strolled up the sidewalk past the blooming dahlias and a phalanx of garden gnomes. "Don't worry. I told Andrew this was top secret stuff. Nobody else in the family will know we're here. Except for Aisha's brother, Martin DaCosta, because he's the one with the car lot."

Before Cagalli could knock, Aisha flung the door open wide. She was a slender woman with an exquisite smile. Her ebony hair had lengthened since she last saw her. "Cagalli, you're here!"

She hugged Cagalli and dragged her inside the foyer. "Look at you, still modish as ever."

"I can say the same for you." Cagalli wasn't merely offering a compliment. Aisha being in her late thirties appeared 10 years younger. "You still look great."

"A little consultation on what vitamins to take and regular gym hours do the works," Aisha confided. "Expensive but worth it."

"Costs me a fortune." Her cousin-in-law Andrew strolled into the foyer. He was tall with a built body. "Your cousin Aisha is no cheap date."

When he hugged her, Cagalli smelled coffee clinging to his clothes. For as long as she can remember, Andrew's coffee is definitely the best. "Our daughter Conille (1) is out with her friends. Such a shame you couldn't meet her.

"Cagalli, you're so much like your dear mother." Aisha said.

"And your brother," her cousin-in-law said. "We read about Kira in the papers. Another tragedy for the Hibiki. It should be your grandfather who gets shot. He should be the one rotting in his - "

"Knock it off, Andy." Aisha turned to Athrun. She flashed her big smile. "Are you going to introduce us to your young man?"

"He's not mine," Cagalli said. "I mean, we're not dating or anything."

"I thought you were traveling across the country together."

"Well, we are," she said. "But - "

"No need to explain." Andrew boomed. "Sheesh, Aisha. Kids are different now. They don't get married at the drop of a hat."

"Are you saying you wouldn't marry me if you met me today?" Aisha demanded.

He leaned toward her and murmured something in Israeli which was, apparently, the right thing to say because Aisha giggled.

Watching them, Cagalli smiled. Her cousins were quixotic. There was no doubt about their love.

Andrew grabbed Athrun's hand and pumped. "I'm Andrew Waltfeld, but just call me Andy. I sell real estate, and I can't get my wife to move. We're still in the same house since we've been married. And you?"

"I teach," Athrun said. "Advanced classes at a school in December City."

"Ah, good." Andy's eyes narrowed, still assessing this stranger. "So, professor, you got a name?"

"Alex Dino."

Cagalli shot him a surprise glance. They hadn't discussed aliases, but she was pleased that he'd chosen to be Alex – an identity that took her back in time. It almost felt like she was visiting socially, introducing her cousins to the man she would one day marry. The father of her child.

"Dino!" Andy clapped Athrun in the shoulder. "You seemed to be a good boy."

"Come to the kitchen," Aisha ordered. "You have to eat."

The huge, redolent kitchen was the heart of this home with gleaming oak cabinetry, a double oven and double refrigerator, plastered with photographs. The countertops were stacked with every small appliance known to human. "Sit at the counter," Aisha ordered. "I know you're in a hurry."

"We have to wait," Andy said. "DaCosta is coming with the car. A little Nissan. Pre-owned but a real beauty."

Cagalli reminded him, "And Martin won't file the paperwork for a couple of days, right?"

Andy looked at her. "This car transaction. It better have nothing to do with the Hibiki family business, ok?"

"It's the opposite." Though Cagalli knew she should explain as little as possible, she ought to give some reason. "I went to L4 for Kira's funeral. My grandfather wanted me to stay. I didn't want to. I'm running away."

"Again?" Aisha questioned, "What about your little boy? Do you have pictures?"

Of course, she did. Cagalli always carried a photo of Nicol in her wallet, but she couldn't show the picture while Athrun was around. He might see the resemblance. Who was she kidding? Nicol was nearly identical to Athrun; he couldn't miss the similarity which could cause serious problems when they got to Orb. She'd have to figure something out before then. "Sorry. No photos."

"I still have the baby picture you sent." Aisha went to the refrigerator and studied array. "He must be almost six now."

"Almost five," Cagalli corrected. Panic fluttered inside her. If Aisha found that baby picture, it had the date of birth. Athrun would see it. He would know. And she didn't want him to find out like this.

"I'm sure he's almost six," Aisha said.

"I think the girl knows when her own baby was born. Are we going to eat?" Andy interjected.

Aisha frowned. "I must've put the picture in an album. I'll find it."

"Smells like pita bread," Andy said.

"You get the fillings," she said as she opened the oven and pulled out a pan of rich pita bread smothered in mozzarella.

Heat from the oven flushed Aisha's cheeks, and she looked very pretty as she nodded to her husband. "Get the chili sauce too, Andy."

"Yogurt will do," he said.

"Cagalli hates your yogurt," she said as she prepared the pitas onto plates to serve Cagalli and Athrun.

Cagalli found herself smiling again. She really felt comfortable here, being with part of a family, and she wished this experience could be a full-time part of her life, something to share with Nicol. A family of her own. More children. A husband. A real home.

She put a slab of chili sauce into her kebab and tasted it. The thick pita layered with cheese balanced the sweet and spicy mixture of the fillings, the chili sauce as an added taste. Magnificent!

She glanced over at Athrun who chewed her plain kebab with his eyes closed, savoring the taste. He swallowed and exhaled a satisfied moan. "Aisha, you're a fairy."

"My Fairy," Andy said possessively.

"And you, Andy, are a lucky man," Athrun said.

Slyly, Aisha said, "I could give this recipe to Cagalli. I know she can cook."

"She's a fantastic cook," Athrun said.

When he looked warmly toward her, she knew he was remembering the dinners she made for him so long ago. She'd fed him from her own fork and kissed away the last traces of sauce from his mouth. At this moment, as she met his gaze and saw her own memories reflected there, Cagalli felt extraordinarily close to him.

Aisha said, "Cooking is the way to a man's heart."

Impulsively, Cagalli reached over to pat Athrun on his flat belly. "Through his stomach."

He grasped her hand and lightly squeezed her fingers. "What's the way to a woman's heart?"

"Through her head," Cagalli said. "Women are much practical than men."

With his free hand, he caressed her cheek. "I'd like to test that theory."

The front door crashed open and there came a shout, "Where is she? Where is my fiery cousin?"

Leaving Athrun behind, Cagalli hopped from the counter stool and ran to greet Martin. Martin's enthusiastic temperament also showed Aisha and Andy's influence as he scooped her off her feet and spun her around.

Martin had not come alone. With him were his wife and four children, all under the age of ten. The kids dashed into the kitchen to greet their aunty and uncle, then scattered like jumping beans. Martin's wife, Abi (2), chatted like she'd known Cagalli forever. "Martin's told me all about you," she said. "He thought you were the prettiest, smartest thing in the world, you know."

"I never would've guessed," she said. "I seem to remember him chasing me with spiders."

"Because I liked you." As his wife followed her brood into the kitchen, Martin's expression turned serious. "I'm sorry about Kira."

"Me, too."

"I sent flowers," he said. "I hope that was okay."

Cagalli was touched by his gesture. No matter how much the Waltfeld and DaCosta's hated the Hibiki, they were relatives. Martin had tried to do the right thing. "I'm sure grandmother Via appreciated them."

While Martin took Athrun outside to close the deal on the pre-owned Nissan, more relatives arrived.

More kebabs were served to Arnold Neumann and wife Natarle Badgiruel, Romero Pal, Dalida Lolaha Chandra II, and Jackie Tonomura, and the noise level in the house raised several decibels.

If this was Andy's idea of a top secret, low-key greeting, Cagalli couldn't imagine what a real party would be like. All these people, talking and laughing, surrounded her with a pleasant, poignant happiness. She wanted to gather up all these warm feelings to remember on the cold nights when she was all alone.

Athrun came up beside her. "They're good people."

"Family." The word sound magical. "Do you ever think about having one?"

"A family? Sure."

However, from what Athrun had observed, family life didn't fit well with undercover assignments. The very nature of his work meant keeping secrets. His job meant he couldn't share, couldn't be completely open – not even with a spouse. The divorce rate among law enforcement personnel was higher than norm.

Additionally, Athrun was twenty-five, quiet too old to change his ways. His best chance at having a family had been long ago with Cagalli, and his job had destroyed that precious possibility.

He watched as she mingled with the others. Teasing, she exchanged barbs with Martin. Gracefully, she roughhoused with Martin's kids. Cagalli appeared to be in her element, sparkling and glowing. She reveled in the give and take, the sharing of unconditional love.

Andy stepped up beside him. "She'll make some man a good wife."

"Yes," Athrun readily agreed.

"Maybe you," Andy said, shamelessly meddling. "Her son is at the age when he needs a father."

"A stepfather," Athrun corrected. Cagalli's son had a faceless father – a faceless man she'd met in Orb. It was a fact that couldn't be changed.

"You can make kids of your own." Andy winked. "The making part isn't so hard to do."

"It's the raising that worries me."

"Amen to that, professor. A living proof to that is our little Conille who's out there somewhere."

The doorbell pealed again and 3 more relatives, Shani Andras, Clotho Buer and Orga Sabnak, stormed into the burgeoning Waltfeld house. One them, Orga, was still dressed in his cop's uniform, and he seemed to study Athrun with suspicion in his eyes.

Athrun knew it was time to go. The danger of exposure grew more likely with each new person who joined the throng. But how could he drag Cagalli away from here? She was the belle of the ball - a Cinderella who wasn't anxious for the clock to strike midnight.

He couldn't blame her for grabbing a little pleasure, indulging in laughter. Her move to Orb must have felt like exile. Cagalli had enough room in her heart to embrace a large, extended family.

As Athrun watched Cagalli moving among the family, helping Aisha serve the kebab sauces, he wanted to give her this warmth. He wished he could have seen her when she was pregnant. Her home in Orb, he imagined, would be charming – filled with plants and carefully dusted souvenirs. He wondered if she'd saved anything from their time together.

The crowd moved into the living room in a straggling herd. This reunion could go on all night. Aisha was threatening to haul out the old photo albums.

Abruptly, Cagalli put an end to the party. "I'm so sorry. We need to be on our way."

Amid a chorus of protests, she insisted. She hugged Aisha, Andy and Martin goodbye and wave to the rest. And Athrun backed her up until they made it out the door and into the Nissan.As he drove into the night, Cagalli was hanging out of the passenger side window, still blowing kisses and waving.

Rounding the corner, she sank back to her seat. In the dim interior light of the car, he could see her beaming contentedly. "I wish Nicol had been here. All these relatives and he doesn't know a single one of them."

"You could manage a visit," Athrun said.

"Oh, sure. You saw what happened tonight. That was an impromptu get-together. If I came here on a planned trip, word would get back to L4."

"And then what?"

"And then, my grandfather would get involved." She shook her head. "I couldn't do that to the Waltfelds. The have a decent life here, and Ulen Hibiki would poison it."

Athrun didn't argue. Though her grandfather wasn't directly responsible for Kira's murder or the current violence surrounding the Hibiki, it had sprung from seeds he's planted long ago. "Tell me about your home in Orb."

"I own a little house in the city. It's small, but it suits me."

"A yard? Any pets?"

"A little garden," she said, "where I grow fresh herbs for cooking. And we have five goldfish. The shiniest one with the biggest tail is named Dino."

After Alex Dino, he assumed. She'd relegated him to the position of fish. At least he had a shiny tail. "What else? Do you have bookshelves? What kind of pictures on the wall?"

"It's nothing special. You'll get to see the place yourself when we get to Orb."

_Or not_. Until this business was settled, he couldn't allow her to return to her home address. The Agents would have her house under surveillance. Athrun didn't point out that fact. It seemed unnecessarily cruel to tell her that she might be on the verge of losing everything.

"Let me ask you a question," she said. "At Aisha's, why did you use the name Alex Dino?"

"That's my undercover identity. I have a driver's license and credit card."

"Kind of strange," she said. "I thought you'd retire that name when you supposedly died."

"Being deceased is the best cover of all," he said. Nobody expected a corpse to use a credit card. "I guess I could've changed to a different alias, but I had a sentimental attachment to Alex Dino. When I used that name… well, I was happy then."

He hadn't meant to say that much. Foolishly, he'd let down his guard. There was no reason in hell that she should care about Alex Dino and his happiness or lack thereof. She'd gone on with her life, gotten pregnant, bought a house and raised a son. "Why didn't you ever get married and start a family of your own?"

"I have Nicol," she said.

"When we were together, you wanted lots of kids. At least four."

"Things change."

"But you'd make a terrific mother for a huge family. You love to cook. You obviously enjoy being surrounded by family."

"All true," she said.

"So, what changed for you?"

"The man I loved was dead."

Cagalli's breath caught in her chest. She hadn't meant to tell him.

A profound quiet descended upon her as she stared straight ahead into the darkness beyond the headlights. During these six years, she'd established a life and functioned on a satisfactory level. But she was never far from grief. At first, she thought of Alex Dino every single day. She felt his presence in the sunset and heard his voice in the whispering wind. She'd cried. She'd cursed. Even the incredible blessing of childbirth had been tinged with sadness because she believed her baby would never know his father.

With the passage of time, the ache had grown less painful, but she never fully recovered. She tried to date, but no other man was capable of matching her lost lover whose memory – burnished with despair and polished her tears – became perfect. "Maybe now that I know you're alive, I can finally out the ghost of Alex Dino to rest."

* * *

In a motel at the west edge of L2, Athrun focused again on his investigation, looking for the vital clue that would link Shinn with the faction of Hibiki who were trying to take over the crime business. 

He set up his laptop and prepared to study the mini-cam video he'd taken of the funeral.

Cagalli sat yoga-style in the center of the bed, ready to view the screen. After her shower, she hadn't changed into silky lingerie. Her cotton nightshirt under a terrycloth robe was the opposite of sexy. But damn cute.

His instinct was to wrap his arm around her shoulder and give her a companionable hug, but Athrun held back. He didn't want to get too close. There were strange emotional undercurrents flowing between them, and he didn't dare to open the floodgates.

"I need to play the video of your brother's funeral," he said. "It's okay if you don't want to watch."

"Maybe I can help. I know a lot of these people and I might notice odd reactions."

"Your impressions will be useful," he said. His hope was that, in the video, he might glimpse some familiar faces of his own. Other agents. Other law enforcement people.

Athrun was certain that Shinn wasn't working alone. At the very least, Sai Argyle was with him. And someone near the top of the food chain had give Shinn access to top secret testimonies and files.

"You're looking for your friends, the zafties," she said. "Tell me why a Zaft agent would get involved with my family's business."

"A big payoff." Athrun remembered the seductive pull of a crime family. The money was lucrative, but the greater appeal was power. Six years ago, when he walked down the street as a bona fide member of the Hibiki, he was respected and feared. He had the best table at every restaurant. Ordinary people rushed to do his bidding.

"Is there a lot of money at stake?" Cagalli asked. "From what I understand, the lucrative parts of my grandfather's business were dismantled six years ago."

"It's been a long time," Athrun reminded her. "I haven't kept track of the details, but there's been a rise in criminal activity formerly associated with the Hibiki family."

"Like what?" she asked.

"Bookmaking, porn, illegal gambling and usurious loans. All hard to trace. All hard to prove in a court of law. All profitable."

"Victimless crimes," Cagalli said. "Don't get me wrong. I don't approve of porn or gambling, but I believe it's up to the individual whether or not they place a bet on a football game."

"If the crimes went no further than petty indiscretions, the agents would look the other way," Athrun said. "But it never stops there."

The first taste was always easy. A simple bet. Accepting a friendly gift. Telling a little white lie. The next bite went deeper. Then deeper. Until finally, the whole cake was consumed. "The problems come when the guy who doesn't pay off on his football bet gets a leg broken. Porn slips into prostitution. A loan ends up costing somebody his house and his business. These are crimes of intimidation. Somebody who owes the Hibiki will do anything – anything! – to appease the family."

She winced. "It's still painful to think of my grandfather like this."

"He might be innocent," Athrun said. "As far as our records show, there haven't been any assaults or crimes that could be directly traced to Ulen. He's largely cruising on his past reputation."

"And losing control?" she questioned.

"Yes."

"The sharks are circling," she said. "Ulen isn't as strong as he used to be. Especially now that Kira is gone. Somebody else in the family thinks they can take over from him."

"And those are the people we're after."

Athrun booted up the laptop program and sat back to watch. The display flashed on the screen without sound. This camera had been placed at the front of the waiting room, looking up the center aisle. He watched an array of strangely familiar faces as people took their places in the old oak pews.

"That's Rey ZaBurrel," Cagalli said. "The woman with him is his wife, Lunamaria and those must be his two daughters."

Athrun recognized the dramatically beautiful woman who came next. Lacus Clyne. Though she walked beside her husband, Heine, they weren't touching. Lacus had presence, a dark dignity. She nodded, unsmiling, to people on either side of the aisle.

"She looks like a queen," Cagalli said.

"A powerful woman." But Athrun still couldn't still imagine the men in the Hibiki family accepting a female boss.

Several other people filed in. Athrun recognized one of the men. He stopped the video. "Damn it!"

"It's one of goupies," Cagalli said. "Orga Sabnak."

Athrun immediately turned off the laptop. Alarms were going off inside his head, but he tried not to overreact. "What do you know about Orga?"

"Practically nothing," she said. "He was adopted together with Shani and Clotho."

Possibly, Orga had attended the funeral for reasons that have nothing to do with nefarious connection between law enforcement and the Hibiki family. On the other hand, Orga might be a link.

Unfortunately, these were questions that couldn't be easily answered through his contact in Heliopolis. Athrun needed someone inside the law enforcement scene for verification. He sat down in front of the computer to look up a phone number.

"What are you doing?" Cagalli asked.

"I know an agent stationed in L2. His name is Arthur Trine. He's a computer expert who was once at December City. I'm going to call him to see if he can fill in this blank."

Using his secured cell phone, Athrun punched in the numbers. "Arthur?"

"Who's this?"

"Athrun Zala."

There was unreadable silence on the other end of the phone. It would have been handy if there was a code word or a signal that would let him know Arthur was on his side. Athrun had to rely on his instincts. With deadly calm, he said, "I need your help."

"Shoot."

"I'm interested in a L2 cop, Orga Sabnak. Ever heard of him?"

"No," Arthur said.

"I need for you to access his files and tell me if there's anything suspicious about him. Any hint he might be connected to the Hibiki."

"I'm at home, Athrun. I'd need to go back to the office. Meet me there."

_Nice try, Trine!_ "I'm not in the area," Athrun lied. "Use your home computer."

"I want to help you," Arthur said. His voice was calm, almost a monotone. "The best advice I can give is for you to turn yourself in. I'll arrange it. I can guarantee - "

"Don't make promises you can't keep."

Athrun was ready to disconnect the call. He'd been mistaken when he thought this computer jockey would take a risk on his behalf. Arthur wasn't that kind.

"Athrun!" his voice raised. "Why did you call me?"

"I believed you were somebody I could trust. Was I wrong?"

Again, there was silence on the other end of the phone. Athrun ended the call.

He turned to Cagalli who perched on the edge of the double bed. "Get dressed," he said. "We've got to move on."

"What's going on?"

"I can't get information on Orgs Sabnak, so I'm going to assume he's working with the Hibiki. Cousin Orga knows what kind of car we're driving. He knows we planned to stop for the night. He could've followed us to this motel."

"I can't believe it." Cagalli shook her head. "Orga's is Aisha's second cousin, and he's associated with the Hibiki. She'll be so disappointed. This will kill her."

"No, Cagalli. This is going to kill us. We've got to get out of here. Fast."

* * *

1 – Conille Almeta – the 14-year-old who's girl with the anti-Alliance resistance in Eurasia's Western Gulnahan; under her guidance, the _Minerva_ strikes an Alliance stronghold.

2 - Abi Windsor – Assigned to replace Meyrin Hawke as the Minerva's new CIC. Her main job is MS Management and Communication.

* * *


	8. Reunited

Same disclaimer applies from prologue. _**Not beta-read**_. Still drained. So sorry.

**Warning:** This chapter contains **MATURE** content. I don't want to change the T rating from the summary since this'll be the only chapter with this kind of content… I think…

* * *

Chapter 7: Reunited

* * *

Until they were beyond the suburbs of L2, Cagalli held her breath, constantly turning to check through the rear window of the car to see if they were being tailed. As before, they avoided the interstate highways where they might be picked up by the state patrol or local police.

Gradually, the city lights became less frequent. Residences grew farther and then were separated by acres of land. Though only ten o'clock at night, their car was the sole vehicle on many roads. To Cagalli's mind, their presence was far too obvious. Their headlights were visible from miles away.

Too easily, she imagined snipers in the bushes, helicopters zeroing in and other vehicles in hot pursuit with nowhere for their car to hide. She felt vulnerable. And guilty, too. This danger was directly attributable to her insistence that they stop to visit the Waltfelds. She could understand how Martin daCosta would send flowers to the funeral, but the fact that Orga Sabnak had actually atteneded the service implied a much closer connection to the Hibikis. "I'm sorry, Athrun."

"Forget about it," he said. "I probably did more damage with that call to Trine."

"I still feel bad." She glanced through the rear window again. "And I don't like driving out here on these deserted back roads. There's no concealment."

"We could disguise the car as a cow or a tractor," he suggested. "Then we'd blend in to the background."

"Very funny."

"Don't worry, Cagalli. We'll be okay."

But she knew a disaster when she saw one. Before now, the bad guys had no idea which direction they'd take.

Now, their location was pinpointed. The search could concentrate on L2 then to L1. "What's your plan?"

"Keep going."

"That's it? That's the whole plan?"

"Basically."

"All night?" she asked.

"Until tomorrow morning when we can rent another car. Don't worry about me. All-nighters are no problem. I've done stakeouts that lasted for days."

"Well, that's very macho of you," she said. "But it really isn't necessary. I'll take a turn with the driving."

"No," he said.

Taken aback by his flat refusal, she peered at him. In the reflected light from the dashboard, she saw resolute stubbornness in the set of his jaw. Why? Surely his reluctance to let her drive wasn't a trust issue. At this point, it was clear they both wanted the same thing: To get to Orb in one piece. So, what was his problem? "Do you doubt my ability to handle a car?"

"Not a bit."

His mouth clamped shut. He didn't intend to offer any explanation, but she wasn't about to let him off the hook so easily. "Then why?"

"I don't mind driving."

"That isn't an explanation, Athrun. Why won't you let me get behind the wheel?"

"It's a thing I have." His voice sounded sheepish and therefore sincere. "I can't stand riding in a car with somebody else driving."

In spite of heightened anxiety, she grinned. "Don't tell me the big, bad, undercover agent has a little phobia?"

"It's a control thing." He visibly winced. "I shouldn't have said that. You're going to blow it all out of proportion."

"It's not a big deal, Athrun. Your need for control doesn't exactly come as a big surprise."

To be honest, she found that trait appealing. A lot of guys were so busy being sensitive that they forgot how to stand on their own two feet. She preferred a man who unapologetically took charge.

Still, she couldn't pass up this opportunity to tease him. "Were you always this way? Did your kindergarten teacher's report say 'Does not play well with others?'"

"I get along just fine. As long as I'm boss."

"Must be hard sometimes," she said. "Don't all you zafties have partners?"

"Not undercover," he said. "Good undercover agents are usually loners. According to assessments, I fit that profile."

Again, not a shocker. She'd know he was a guy who liked his own company. And Cagalli was a woman who enjoyed a boisterous crowd. Obviously, they were not a good match socially. It might be all for the best that they'd never had a chance at a long-term relationship.

They rode in companionable silence until she ventured, "I like when you were treating me like a partner. Back in the motel room. When we were watching the video."

"Did you notice anything else on the tape?"

"Like what?"

"Interaction. Who was the boss?"

Cagalli knew what he was talking about. From childhood, she'd learned the signs that told her who she ought to respect, who was dangerous and who was friendly. They were subtle nonverbal indications of deference to the leaders. A nod of the head. A glancing way. "My first impression was that Lacus and Heine aren't getting along too well as husband and wife. It's also interesting that their children weren't at the funeral. It shows lack of respect for my grandparents."

"I hadn't thought of that. Good point."

She continued, "We didn't watch long enough to see Kira's wife, Fllay. I'd like to take a look at her."

"Why?"

"It doesn't seem like they had a good marriage, either. All these years and no kids." She wasn't sure why, but that might be a clue.

He reached over and gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder. "For right now, I'd suggest that you curl up and take a nap. When we get to the opposite edge of L2, we'll ditch this car, and you can use your Erica Simmons identity to rent a different car. Then we'll take a motel room and rest before the last leg of the trip to L1."

That sounded more like a plan, but she had no intention of sleeping. If Athrun intended to drive all night, she'd keep him company so he wouldn't get drowsy and fly off the road into a cornfield.

Cagalli twisted around until she was comfortable in her bucket seat and started talking. First, about Nicol. She gave Athrun the full story from birth to preschool. Thought it seemed like she was rambling on and on, Athrun asked alert questions that showed he was listening.

His attention gratified her. He'd be glad for all these details when she finally told him that he was Nicol's father. And when would that be? Soon, she thought. Maybe tomorrow after they were rested.

And what would be his response? He really couldn't be angry. It wasn't as if she'd purposely chosen to exclude him. He'd probably want a relationship with Nicol; Athrun was the sort of responsible man who'd never turn his back on his own son. Would he want split custody? And what about his relationship with her?

After a couple of hours and giant coffees from a convenience store, she drifted into other topics. Freely associating, she jumped from past to future and back again.

Athrun stayed along on the conversational roller coaster, even telling his own stories and filling in the blanks of his life. He liked working at December City and researching undercover assignments more than going into the field himself. He'd purchased a mountain land in Italy and planned to build a vacation cabin there.

"Do you like the mountains?" she asked.

"Very much. I like the peace and quiet."

As the night wore on, she began to believe in his theory that everything happened for a reason. They'd been flung together on this long cross-county trip. And the reason? So they might have a second chance. Their old relationship might take root and blossom anew. If that were true, she felt lucky, indeed. Twice blessed. It might be perfect if she fell in love again with Nicol's father.

* * *

It was eleven o'clock on the following morning when Athrun collapsed across the bed in the Winged Whale Motel nearly outside L2 boarders. They'd rented another car in and proceeded to here. Though he'd wanted to continue, his eyes were burning and his body felt stiff, as if he'd been encased in cement.

Running back and forth from the car, Cagalli unloaded her own suitcase and the remains of kebab and cannolis packed by Aisha. "Do you know why this motel is named Winged Whale?" she asked in a bright, educational tone.

"I don't know," he murmured.

"It's actually named after the Evidence01, an extraterrestrial fossil that was found orbiting Jupiter by George Glenn. I'm reading this out of one of those brochures I picked up in the motel office. Apparently, the replicated fossil is at a museum somewhere around here."

"Swell." Behind his closed eyelids, he saw the endless ribbon of highways, the racing fence posts, the broken middle line into infinity.

"According to the brochures, this whole area has a bloody history because the replica weakens the influence of many religions," she said. "This would be a good code word, you know."

"What?"

"If I ever need to warn you about danger, I'll say: Winged Whale. And you'll think about the bloody history."

He was vaguely aware that she was untying the laces on his shoes and pulling them off his feet. "Gotta sleep now," he muttered.

"At least take off your jacket, Athrun."

Without opening his eyes, he sat up and dragged his arms out of his jacket sleeves. His numb fingers fumbled with the buttons on his shirt.

"Good," she encouraged. "I'm pulling down the bedspread. You just get comfy."

How could she still be standing? She hadn't slept, either. Maybe she had. A lot of hr verbal musings on the road sounded like she'd been talking from an altered state.

He felt his face crack as his mouth curved in a spontaneous smile. In an obscure way, last night had been fun. He liked listening to the alto melody of her voice as she wove her stories. Some were sad. Some ended with a moral. Others with a grin. All were, in some way, charming. If he'd been six years younger, he would've taken her in his arms right now and showed her how much he appreciated her.

"I unpacked Aisha's kebab," she called out. "Do you want some? There's a microwave in the kitchenette."

Athrun didn't think he could summon the energy to chew. "No."

Tearing the rest of his clothes, he crawled between the sheets and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

* * *

Hours passed. The inside of his head went from wet cotton to mush to loamy soil where thoughts might grow. He waited for coherence, an answer to questions unasked. Tattered images from irrelevant dreams blew across his mental landscape like a discarded newspaper. A conclusion was forming. Something to do with Trine the computer expert and Sai Argyle and Shinn Asuka. If only Athrun could catch hold…

"Athrun? Are you awake?"

He smelled kebab. Suddenly hungry, he licked his lips.

"I made coffee," she said. "And I got some soda from the machine."

"Coffee?" Blindly, he groped toward the bedside table.

"Aha," she said. "There are those amazing catlike reflexes of a super undercover agent."

He pried open one eyelid to glare at her. She was on the other double bed, wearing her nightshirt and looking spunky. "What time is it?"

"Five in the evening," she said. "You wanted to be wakened so we could drive at night."

His fist curled around the cardboard coffee cup, and he dosed himself with caffeine before checking her out again. Through the thin cotton of her nightshirt, he saw the peak of her nipples. Very sexy.

Under the covers, he had a morning erection though it was nearly dusk. He pushed himself up to a sitting position against the pillows.

She pointed to the container of steaming kebab. "You should eat."

"You don't look tired," he observed. "You're all dewy and fresh. No bags under the eyes."

"I putted facial mask earlier," she said. "It does wonders."

Athrun began putting two and two together. She putted a facial mask earlier and not dressed. She pushed food at him when she knew that the way to a man's heart was through his stomach. "Are you seducing me?"

"That's kind of a stretch."

But she didn't deny her motives. He patted the edge of the bed beside him, "Come over here."

Her amber eyes flashed coquettishly. "Why should I?"

He took another sip of coffee. "I could beat around the bush and make up clever litter enticements, but I think we're both too old for playing those games.

"Mature," he said. "That's a compliment."

"Maybe. If you were looking to hire me as a housekeeper."

"Do you want the truth?" he asked. "Can you take it?"

"Give it to me straight."

If Athrun had been wide awake and thinking alertly, he would have been cleverer. But there was very little boundary between his dreams and his consciousness. "I want you to sit beside me on the bed and feed me. Then, I want to make love to you. For six years, you've been my fantasy woman. Now, I want the reality. I want you, Cagalli Yamato."

She bolted to her feet.

Quite possibly, he'd just made a giant error in judgment.

She stood for a moment between the two double beds. She might slap him. She might dump coffee over his head. But she couldn't fault him for lack of honesty.

With the winsome grace of a feather drifting on dying winds, she lowered herself to the edge of the bed beside him. Her sultry amber eyes confronted him with his own blunt honesty. Wordlessly, she accepted his proposition.

As she reached for the container of the kebab, her slender arms formed a beautiful arch. Never before had he thought of a woman's elbow as sexy, but she continued to surprise and rewards him with unexpected charm in the simplest acts. She loaded a plastic fork. "Taste."

Dutifully, he opened his mouth and accepted the kebab, thick and rich with hot sauce. Almost better as a leftover. "Good."

The texture of the kebab aroused the juices in his mouth. When he swallowed, the needed nourishment gave him a surge of energy.

Another bite. A sip of soda to wash it down.

Since both of her hands were occupied with feeding him, Athrun took the advantage. He rested his palm on her firm thigh. Her satiny skin gleamed in the light from the bedside lamp.

His fingertips eased higher, sliding under her nightshirt. When he reached the angle of her hip and spread his fingers to span her buttocks, he made a pleasant discovery. "You're not wearing panties."

"So? You're not wearing anything at all."

"Doesn't seem fair." He took the container of kebab from her hand and set it on the table. "Let's get rid of the nightshirt."

She raised her arms above her head, and he lifted the soft cotton material, slowly revealing her hips, her belly buttons, her rib cage, and her rounded breasts with dusky nipples. He beheld her with a sort of reverence. For six years, he had imagined this moment. Her boy had undergone a few changes. The curve of her waist was more emphatic. Her breasts were heavier and even more enticing.

He threw the nightshirt across the bed and looked up to her face.

"Disappointed?" she asked. "As you pointed out, I'm older."

His hands rested on her flat stomach. Was it possible that she'd had a child? "When you were younger, you were… delicate. Like a sea sprite. The flicker of sunlight on water." He cupped her breasts. "Now, the light has become you. There's a glow from within. You're a beautiful woman."

When she gifted him with a radiant smile, Athrun knew he'd said the right thing. Even though there weren't enough words in his vocabulary to describe the way he was feeling, he'd pleased her and he was proud of himself for doing so. "That was poetic, wasn't it?"

"Very." She leaned forward to rest both hands on his chest. "You're body is different too. I like it." She bent down and nestled her cheek against his chest. Her hair tickled his chin and he could smell fragrance of her shampoo.

He slid down on the pillows, pulling her along with him, fitting her body against his. With incredible suppleness, she molded herself to him. Her thigh rubbed his erection, and he shuddered at the resulting jolt of electricity. It would take very shred of his willpower to hold off his own climax until she was thoroughly satisfied. "Slowly," he cautioned.

"You're in charge," she said.

Willfully, Cagalli abandoned herself to his skillful touch. She closed her eyes and reveled in his tenderness which quickly grew to a wonderful ferocity. He yanked her across the bed. She lay on her back, and he rose above. His strength overpowered her and she offered no resistance. Instead, she arched toward him, needing the touch of his flesh against hers. When she sought her lips, she allowed his tongue to force through her teeth and plunder the inside of her mouth.

Her entire body tightened with unbearable, delightful sensation as he fondled her breasts and tweaked her taut nipple. She felt hot and needy. Desperately, she wanted him inside her. At the same time, she wished these erotic caresses might continue forever and ever and ever.

Anxious for fulfillment, she stroked his hardness. "Can't go slow."

He was groping across the bed. "Where are my pants? In my wallet. A condom."

A rational thread stitched through her unconscious passion. She might become pregnant again. It had happened once before with Athrun and resulted in her son. "We don't need a condom," she said.

It wasn't a lie. She wanted another child.

"You're sure?" he asked.

"Yes." She pulled him toward her. "I want you. Now."

He poised above her. With maddening slowness, he entered her. With his first hard thrusts, he drove her to the brink. She trembled, reaching fulfillment.

Her soft moans of sheer pleasure did not end his campaign of passion. He continued, unabated. She climaxed again and again until he exploded within her.

They lay side by side, gasping and astounded by the most natural act imaginable. She wanted to speak; to tell him how fulfilled she felt. But her tongue wouldn't move. A perfect languor weighted her limbs.

She imagined his seed within her body, seeking to fertilize and propagate. Another child. She would love to be pregnant with his child. This time, he would stay with her. He would hold her hand in the delivery room.

Was it the right moment to tell him about Nicol? In her mind, she searched for the right phrase, but she couldn't think clearly. What if he got angry? Or sad? It was better to wait. She didn't want to ruin their spectacular reunion.

"Hungry," he said. He grabbed for the remnants of the kebab and began shoveling. "You want some?"

"I had some earlier." Watching him eat amused her. "There are also cannolis in the kitchenette."

He finished of the kebab and bounded from the bed. Naked and unselfconscious, he strode across the motel room to the kitchenette. Gorgeous butt! His body amazed her.

He rejoined her on the bed to munch on his cannoli. First, he sucked out the cream. Then, he ate the outer pastry. When he leaned over and kissed her, he tasted sugary. "We should be going."

"Probably." She stroked the lined of his jaw.

"On the other hand," he said. "Shinn Asuka seems to have studied my psychological profile and knows my M.O., method of operation."

Where was he going with this logic? "And?"

"He'd expect me to be on the move. Completely dedicated to making fast progress across. Might be better to deviate from my usual single-minded attitude."

"What does that mean?"

He turned toward her. Gently, he took her hand and guided it down his body so she could feel his renewed erection. "I want to stay here all night. With you."

She couldn't think of a single objection.


End file.
